Saturday Night Live (SNL) is an American late-night sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. It premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the title NBC's Saturday Night. The show usually satirizes contemporary American popular culture and politics. SNL features a two-tiered cast: the repertory cast members, and newer cast members known as "Featured Players." A typical episode of SNL features a single host, who delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast. The format also features a musical guest, and a number of episodes have featured celebrity cameos.
George Carlin was the first to host the show. Candice Bergen was both the first female host in November 8, 1975, and the first to host a second time in December of the same year. On occasion, the episode's host also serves as the musical guest; the first was Paul Simon on October 18, 1975. The most recent to pull double duty was Timothée Chalamet on January 25, 2025. The Rolling Stones are the only band to ever serve as both host and musical guest during the same episode, which aired October 7, 1978. Guests who host five times become members of the Five-Timers Club, introduced on the December 8, 1990, episode, when Tom Hanks became the seventh person to host their fifth episode.
The list below shows the people who have appeared on the show. It is split into three sections: "Host", if the person hosted the show at any given time; "Musical guest", if a person was the musical guest on the show at any given time; and "Cameo", which is for a person who has appeared on the show but did not act as host or musical guest.
U + Performer Host Musical guest Cameo First appearance U2 December 9, 2000 UB40 February 12, 1994 Bob Uecker October 13, 1984 Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York February 26, 2022 Carrie Underwood February 23, 2008 Kate Upton February 18, 2012 Keith Urban February 10, 2007 Robert Urich March 20, 1982 Usher May 17, 2008
V + Performer Host Musical guest Cameo First appearance Vampire Weekend May 11, 2024 James Van Der Beek January 16, 1999 Eddie Van HalenFebruary 28, 1987 Kenny Vance May 21, 1977 Luther Vandross February 20, 1982 Nia Vardalos November 9, 2002 Jimmie Vaughan February 15, 1986 Stevie Ray Vaughan Vince Vaughn December 5, 1998 Tesco Vee October 31, 1981 Suzanne Vega May 9, 1987 Sofia Vergara April 7, 2012 Veruca Salt March 15, 1997 Matt Vogel December 18, 2004
W
+ Performer Host Musical guest Cameo First appearance Notes Andrew W.K. March 22, 2002 Robert Wagner December 9, 1989 Mark Wahlberg October 19, 2008 Loudon Wainwright III November 15, 1975 John Waite January 12, 1985 Tom Waits April 9, 1977 Wale December 14, 2013 Christopher Walken January 20, 1990Member of the "Five-Timers Club" Summer Walker February 24, 2024 Morgan Wallen December 5, 2020Originally set to appear on October 10, 2020, before being removed for violating NBC's COVID-19 safety protocols Phoebe Waller-Bridge October 5, 2019 Barbara Walters May 10, 2014 Christoph Waltz February 16, 2013 Wanz March 2, 2013 Andy Warhol October 10, 1981 Malcolm-Jamal Warner October 18, 1986 Jennifer Warnes May 21, 1977 Elizabeth Warren March 7, 2020 Dionne Warwick November 6, 2021 Kerry Washington November 2, 2013 Sam Waterston November 18, 1995 Muse Watson November 21, 1998 Andrew Watt April 25, 2020 J. J. Watt February 1, 2020 Damon Wayans April 8, 1995Former cast member Carl Weathers January 30, 1988 Sigourney Weaver October 11, 1986The Weeknd October 10, 2015 Marc Weiner February 21, 1981 Raquel Welch April 24, 1976 David Wells December 1, 2001 George Wendt March 22, 1986 Kanye West May 18, 2013 Paul Westerberg December 4, 1993The Whiffenpoofs December 12, 1981 Forest Whitaker February 10, 2007 The White Stripes October 19, 2002 Betty White May 8, 2010 Jack White October 19, 2002 Rondell White December 13, 1997 Shaun White October 1, 2022 Bradley Whitford December 14, 2002 Steve Whitmire December 18, 2004As the voice of Kermit the Frog Kristen Wiig May 11, 2013Former cast member; member of the "Five-Timers Club" Wilco March 1, 2008 Olivia Wilde May 21, 2011 Fred Willard October 14, 1978 Allison Williams November 3, 2007 Brian Williams November 3, 2007 Cindy Williams February 20, 1977 Deniece Williams April 7, 1984 Gerald Williams December 13, 1997Non-speaking role Robin Williams February 11, 1984 Tyler James Williams October 4, 2003 Walter Williams February 28, 1976As the voice of Mr. Bill Wendy Williams May 4, 2024 Bruce Willis September 30, 1989 Andrew Wilson October 2, 2021 Brian Wilson November 27, 1976 Flip Wilson December 10, 1983 Luke Wilson October 2, 2021 Owen Wilson Rainn Wilson February 24, 2007 Dave Winfield October 13, 1984 Oprah Winfrey April 12, 1986 Debra Winger March 24, 1990 Henry Winkler December 3, 1994 Kate Winslet October 20, 2004 Dean Winters November 19, 2024 Bill Withers January 17, 1976 Reese Witherspoon September 29, 2001 Mark Wohlers December 13, 1997 Megan Wollover October 17, 2015 Stevie Wonder May 7, 1983 Wayne Wonder May 10, 2003 Elijah Wood December 13, 2003 Jamila Woods December 12, 2015 Jimmy Workman November 20, 1993 Steven Wright January 14, 1984
X + Performer Host Musical guest Cameo First appearance Charli XCXMarch 5, 2022 The xxNovember 19, 2016 XzibitJanuary 20, 2020
Y + Performer Host Musical guest Cameo First appearance Gideon Yago February 4, 2006 Yeah Yeah Yeahs April 11, 2009 yMusic October 13, 2018 Dwight Yoakam April 9, 1994 Young Jeezy May 17, 2008 Young Thug October 17, 2021 Neil Young September 30, 1989 Paul Young February 14, 1987
Z
+ Performer Host Musical guest Cameo First appearance Notes Zac Brown Band March 7, 2015 Frank Zappa October 21, 1978 Banned from further appearances for acting unprofessionally on setTodd Zeile December 13, 1997 Renée Zellweger April 14, 2001 Catherine Zeta-Jones October 22, 2005 Maddie Ziegler January 17, 2015 Mark Zuckerberg January 29, 2011 Zwan April 12, 2003
See also List of Saturday Night Live guests (A–D) List of Saturday Night Live guests (E–H) List of Saturday Night Live guests (I–L) List of Saturday Night Live guests (M–P) List of Saturday Night Live guests (Q–T)
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