NBC’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ premiered on Oct. 11, 1975. See what the show’s inaugural cast has been up to since the historic debut season. It’s been nearly 50 years since the first episode of Saturday Night Live aired. Titled initially NBC’s Saturday Night, SNL premiered on Oct. 11, 1975, and has since remained the TV sketch comedy gold standard.
Seven actors worked through the entire first season; they became known as the “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” and are immortalized in the new Jason Reitman film Saturday Night, which tells the story of the minutes leading up to the show’s first episode. To celebrate the latest movie and 50 seasons of SNL, let’s see what the original cast has been doing since their last appearance on the show.
Chevy Chase was the first cast member to host Weekend Update, and he returned to SNL for its second season before leaving partway through. However, his time on the show earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards in 1976. Chase came back to host the show eight times between 1978 and 1997. After SNL, he continued his acting career in both television and film, starring in classics like Foul Play, Caddyshack, and the National Lampoon’s Vacation movies. This year, the 80-year-old Three Amigos star became a grandfather.
Jane Curtin stayed on SNL for five seasons until 1980, taking over for Chase as the host of Weekend Update. Her iconic characters include Enid Loopner and Prymaat Conehead. After her departure, Curtin went on to star alongside Susan Saint James in the CBS sitcom Kate & Allie, earning her two Emmy Awards. She later appeared in the hit show 3rd Rock from the Sun from 1996 to 2001.
Garrett Morris, a musically trained Juilliard graduate, was recruited by Lorne Michaels to join SNL, making him the first Black cast member on the show. He left after five seasons in 1980. Earlier this year, the now 87-year-old Morris was honored with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.
Laraine Newman left SNL after five seasons. Her famous characters include Connie Conehead and the Valley Girl. After the show, Newman had an extensive career in voice acting, with roles in films and TV shows like Histeria!, Madagascar, and As Told by Ginger. In 2023, her daughter Hannah was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Emmy for her work in Hacks.
Dan Aykroyd, who portrayed one-half of the iconic Blues Brothers, was a member of the SNL cast for four seasons. In 1977, he won an Emmy Award for outstanding writing. After SNL, Aykroyd reprised his popular characters in The Blues Brothers and Coneheads films and earned an Oscar nomination for his work in Driving Miss Daisy. The 72-year-old recently reunited with his former castmate Chevy Chase in Zombie Town.
During his four seasons on SNL, John Belushi created some of the show’s most iconic characters, including Captain Kirk and Joliet Jake Blues. Following his run on the show, he starred in National Lampoon’s Animal House and The Blues Brothers film. Tragically, Belushi died in 1982 after an apparent drug overdose at the age of 33.
For five seasons, Gilda Radner entertained audiences with beloved characters like Emily Litella and Roseanne Roseannadanna. She left the show in 1980 to pursue acting in movies and married her Hanky Panky co-star Gene Wilder. Radner passed away in 1989 at the age of 42 after a battle with ovarian cancer.
The inaugural cast of Saturday Night Live left an indelible mark on comedy. While some, like Belushi and Radner, were taken from us too soon, their legendary performances continue to inspire generations of comedic talent. Fifty years later, the “Not Ready for Primetime Players” remain icons of American entertainment.