Saturday Night Live, the pinnacle of success for many comedians turns 50 this year. The inception of the show was chronicled in a movie called Saturday Night late last year that followed show creator Lorne Michels' first live show that launched the sketch comedy phenomenon into the cultural ether. And while the show has churned out a plethora of comedy legends including Eddie Murphy, Chris Farley, and Will Ferrell, the women of the show had to overcome significant obstacles in an industry that is overpopulated with men and harsh on women who are pretty and funny.
Here are 12 women from SNL that made their own place in history on an original, comedy-legend producing show:
Gilda Radner (1975)
Gilda Radner is one of the most well-known of the original cast members of SNL. Her character, Roseanne Roseannadanna is iconic and still one of the most remembered of SNL history. She was the very first cast member hired by Lorne Michels when he was planning the show.
Candice Bergen (1975)
Candice Bergen was the first woman ever to host the show and is now one of the members of the Five-Timers Club along with some other big-name actors like Tom Hanks, Danny Devito, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Martin Short.
Jane Curtin (1976)
Also one of the original cast members, Jane Curtin was the first female weekend update host starting in the second season of the show. She was paired with Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray.
Yvonne Hudson (1978)
Yvonne Hudson was the first Black woman cast on SNL, three years after the first episode aired. A sign of the times, she was often given stereotypical or background roles, but her barrier-breaking time on the show paved the way for other phenomenal Black female comedians.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (1982)
At just 21 years old, Julia Louis-Dreyfus was the youngest cast member ever of SNL where she stayed for three seasons, just a couple years before her breakout role as Elaine Benes on Seinfeld.
Tina Fey (1999)
Tina Fey was hired as a writer at SNL in 1997, and just two years later was approached by Lorne Michels for the head writer position, the first woman to ever do so. By the next year she was appearing in sketches and soon became the co-host of Weekend Update with Jimmy Fallon.
Amy Poehler (2001)
While at SNL, Amy Poehler managed to pull off a feat only one other person ever did. And that person was Eddie Murphy. In her first season, Poehler was hired as a featured player and later promoted to full time cast member halfway through the year. She is the only woman to do so.
Amy Poehler and Tina Fey (2004)
A dynamic duo, Poehler and Fey shine alone but together they make comedy magic. They were the first all-female co-hosts of Weekend Update from 2004 - 2006.
Kristen Wiig (2009)
Kristen Wiig hit an impressive milestone during Season 34 of SNL when she appeared in the most sketches - 124 - in one season than any cast member. The person behind her needed quite a few to catch up, with Jason Sudeikis clocking in at 99.
Leslie Jones and Sasheer Zamata (2014)
After Kenan Thompson said he would no longer dress in drag on the show until SNL hired two Black female cast members, Lorne Michels conducted a nationwide talent search. The hunt found Leslie Jones and Sasheer Zamata who were both hired in 2014. Zamata left the show in 2017 and Jones in 2019.
Tiffany Haddish (2017)
It was not until 2017 that SNL was hosted by a Black female stand-up comedian. Tiffany Haddish was not only the one to break this ceiling, but she also earned an Emmy for her performance.
Kate McKinnon (2017)
Kate McKinnon, popular for her impressions of Ellen Degeneres and Senator Elizabeth Warren is the only woman to win an Emmy for SNL twice in a row.
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