In recent weeks, it seems Saturday Night Live‘s been in an upswing. Hosts like Daniel Radcliffe, Melissa McCarthy, and Maya Rudolph are proving the show’s naysayers wrong; as it turns out, there’s hope for a return to The Golden Age of SNL.
With that in mind, we have to wonder: if we could build a dream cast of the show, made up of the very best of the best, whom would we include?
So behold, SNL geeks! Our very own Dream Team!
Head Writer: Tina Fey
Who else but Tina Fey, the head writer when the show was in its prime? 30 Rock is irrefutable proof that the bespectacled wordsmith is nowhere near running out of steam and funnies, so there’s no doubt she’d be able to bring some of the magic back to SNL.
Gilda Radner
The very first performer cast for Saturday Night Live, Radner created such classics as Roseanne Roseannadanna, “Baba Wawa,” and the nearly 40-year-old staple, Weekend Update.
Maya Rudolph
When she hosted SNL on February 18th, Rudolph proved the show, in which many have been losing hope, is still capable of bringing the house down. Having played everyone from Maya Angelou to Beyonce to Versace, nobody can escape her genius.
Cheri Oteri
A castmember during the time commonly referred to as “SNL‘s Golden Age,” Oteri brought back Radner’s “Baba Wawa” and never shied away from being totally ridiculous on stage. The Pre-Amy Poehler, the comedienne’s completely uninhibited antics as Ariana the Cheerleader, Rita DelVecchio, Nadeen, and Cass Van Rye never failed to up the ante.
Amy Poehler
Which brings us to Amy Poehler, the seemingly sweet blonde whom best bud Tina Fey describes as a fearless force who always makes the effort to destroy the “cutesy” standard to which women in the biz are held. She raps, wigs out, and rips politicians apart with a simple “Really?!” — all to uproarious applause.
Ana Gasteyer
With all of her musical sensibilities (yep, she played Wicked‘s Elphaba for a time), she set the bar high for all of SNL‘s music-themed sketches and executed, every time. Whether she was Bobbie Mohan-Culp (the opera-voiced high school music teacher with Will Ferrell), or Jonette of Gemini’s Twin, musical comedy was her forte.
Molly Shannon
The Supah-stah! Shannon, with her sheepish facial expressions and ability to go from mellow to crazy in nanoseconds, flat, always managed to bring the weird humor to the show. And who can forget that “Delicious Dish” sketch she hosted with fellow dream team member, Ana Gasteyer? [Schwetty Balls.]
Kristen Wiig
Currently one of SNL‘s saving graces, Wiig hit stardom when she introduced the world to the magic that is Target Lady. Really, Wiig’s greatest strength is how sometimes she doesn’t need to say a word to steal the show (did anyone see her rendition of Taylor Swift in Maya Rudolph’s Beyonce sketch?). Even under insane makeup, it’s Wiig’s complete commitment to each character she plays that makes her so badass.
Bill Murray
The Whip Master, Gilda Radner’s awkward prom date, and the guy everyone thinks of whenever Groundhog Day comes around, Murray was rightfully inducted into the show’s Hall of Fame.
Bill Hader
Is there a voice this guy can’t impersonate?? In the tradition of Maya Rudolph, Hader tackles just about every role SNL‘s writers throw at him.
Fred Armisen
Apart from getting epic laughs from the crowd with just a crazed look (a la Prince), Armisen’s responsible for playing characters of just about every race or ethnicity imaginable.
Will Ferrell
Be honest: when you think about Ferrell’s take on creepy Actor’s Studio host John Lipton, can you do so without pee-laughing?
With that in mind, we have to wonder: if we could build a dream cast of the show, made up of the very best of the best, whom would we include?
So behold, SNL geeks! Our very own Dream Team!
Head Writer: Tina Fey
Who else but Tina Fey, the head writer when the show was in its prime? 30 Rock is irrefutable proof that the bespectacled wordsmith is nowhere near running out of steam and funnies, so there’s no doubt she’d be able to bring some of the magic back to SNL.
Gilda Radner
The very first performer cast for Saturday Night Live, Radner created such classics as Roseanne Roseannadanna, “Baba Wawa,” and the nearly 40-year-old staple, Weekend Update.
Maya Rudolph
When she hosted SNL on February 18th, Rudolph proved the show, in which many have been losing hope, is still capable of bringing the house down. Having played everyone from Maya Angelou to Beyonce to Versace, nobody can escape her genius.
Cheri Oteri
A castmember during the time commonly referred to as “SNL‘s Golden Age,” Oteri brought back Radner’s “Baba Wawa” and never shied away from being totally ridiculous on stage. The Pre-Amy Poehler, the comedienne’s completely uninhibited antics as Ariana the Cheerleader, Rita DelVecchio, Nadeen, and Cass Van Rye never failed to up the ante.
Amy Poehler
Which brings us to Amy Poehler, the seemingly sweet blonde whom best bud Tina Fey describes as a fearless force who always makes the effort to destroy the “cutesy” standard to which women in the biz are held. She raps, wigs out, and rips politicians apart with a simple “Really?!” — all to uproarious applause.
Ana Gasteyer
With all of her musical sensibilities (yep, she played Wicked‘s Elphaba for a time), she set the bar high for all of SNL‘s music-themed sketches and executed, every time. Whether she was Bobbie Mohan-Culp (the opera-voiced high school music teacher with Will Ferrell), or Jonette of Gemini’s Twin, musical comedy was her forte.
Molly Shannon
The Supah-stah! Shannon, with her sheepish facial expressions and ability to go from mellow to crazy in nanoseconds, flat, always managed to bring the weird humor to the show. And who can forget that “Delicious Dish” sketch she hosted with fellow dream team member, Ana Gasteyer? [Schwetty Balls.]
Kristen Wiig
Currently one of SNL‘s saving graces, Wiig hit stardom when she introduced the world to the magic that is Target Lady. Really, Wiig’s greatest strength is how sometimes she doesn’t need to say a word to steal the show (did anyone see her rendition of Taylor Swift in Maya Rudolph’s Beyonce sketch?). Even under insane makeup, it’s Wiig’s complete commitment to each character she plays that makes her so badass.
Bill Murray
The Whip Master, Gilda Radner’s awkward prom date, and the guy everyone thinks of whenever Groundhog Day comes around, Murray was rightfully inducted into the show’s Hall of Fame.
Bill Hader
Is there a voice this guy can’t impersonate?? In the tradition of Maya Rudolph, Hader tackles just about every role SNL‘s writers throw at him.
Fred Armisen
Apart from getting epic laughs from the crowd with just a crazed look (a la Prince), Armisen’s responsible for playing characters of just about every race or ethnicity imaginable.
Will Ferrell
Be honest: when you think about Ferrell’s take on creepy Actor’s Studio host John Lipton, can you do so without pee-laughing?
@Travis They were all FANTASTIC too, and I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s hard to pick favorites. 😉 But this is our dream team. Looks like you’ve got your own dream team there with this list. In a perfect world, we’d let them go head to head in the ultimate match! That would be crazy fun!
Thanks for the comment! 🙂
This is great!! I would add Dana Carvey, because he, like Wiig was never a show stealer, can play anything and is mercilessly goofy.
Sorry, can you add something in there about excluding everyone between 1979-2005? That way, we understand why you left off Eddie Murphy, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Jane Curtain, Chris Farley, Kevin Nealon, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Billy Crystal, Joe Piscapo, and Norm MacDonald.