When Saturday Night Live first aired Live From New York on October 11, 1975, no one could have imagined that the show would still be keeping us up 40 years later. With Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner among the original cast, the show succeeded quickly, making these relatively unknown comedians into household names. Over the next 40 years, the show would launch the careers of many more young comics; read interviews with many of them in this book.
My favorite SNL seasons will always be from the late 1980s and early 1990s, when people like Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Dana Carvey and Martin Short were cast members. Who can forget Farley as a Chippendale dancer, Short as Ed Grimley, Carvey as the Church Lady and Myers as Wayne Campbell?
Many cast members actually got their comedic start right here in Chicago as part of The Second City Theatre Company before moving on to Saturday Night Live. Check out this title to get a behind-the-scenes look at how improv started in Chicago.
If asked to name the most famous SNL cast member from Chicago, most people would say John Belushi. With stories from family and friends and personal photos, Belushi gives an inside look at the life of this legend.
But he wasn't the only original SNL cast member to get started on The Second City Chicago stage. It's Always Something is the moving story of Gilda Radner's love affair with Gene Wilder and her fight against ovarian cancer.
The infamous duo Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who met here in Chicago, teamed up on SNL in the early 2000s and have been a hit ever since. Fey's Bossypants and Poehler's Yes Please tell the stories behind the rise of these two incredible women.
Who’s your favorite SNL cast member through the years? Let us know in the comments!
Add a comment to: Top Picks: Saturday Night Live Turns 40