Since premiering in 1975,Saturday Night Livehas become a staple of American TV, and a cornerstone of popular culture. The show became famous for shining a spotlight on soon-to-be legendary stars, as well as its political commentary. SNL has also been responsible for bringing to life some of the funniest characters in comedy history.
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For almost 50 years, many of the greatest minds in comedy have gone live from 30 Rockefeller Center. In that time, countless characters, sketches, and jokes have been performed. For very few, some of those characters get to make audiences laugh again and again. These ten are some of those genius recurring characters that have come from SNL.
Updated May 22, 2025, by Blaise Santi: Oftentimes, recurring characters on Saturday Night Live are the best way for cast members to break the mold and stand out in front of audiences, both in the studio and watching from home. Sometimes, all it takes is one single sketch to rocket a character from a late-night writer’s room idea to an SNL icon. Many of these characters have gone on to star in their own feature films, or, in some cases, become victory lap reprisals for returning cast members. These recurring characters from SNL’s history are not only stand-outs of their respective core casts but also launched these performers to positions of Hollywood royalty.
13Church Lady
Few in SNL’s roster were as great at transforming into their characters as Dana Carvey. As a cast member from 1986 to 1993, Carvey stood out with recurring sketches like “Wayne’s World” and “Massive Head Wound Harry.” However, his greatest and most iconic recurring character was the uptight, pop-culture-critiquing Church Lady.
The Church Lady was the host of her own television program, “Church Chat,” which operated in a similar format to the “Wayne’s World” sketches. Carvey would interview celebrities and revel in sarcastic condemnation, often with the punchline, “Well, isn’t that special?” Even better, Carvey’s been game to reprise the character in recent seasons.
12Mary Katherine Gallagher
Molly Shannon was a breakout star at SNL when she joined in 1995. Luckily, she was one of the few performers kept during a major cast exodus, resulting in an almost entirely new cast by the start of season 21. However, she quickly gained even more popularity with her unpopular and awkward Catholic school teen, Mary Katherine Gallagher.
The character’s idiosyncrasies became legendary SNL lexicon, such as Gallagher’s tendency to stick her fingers in her armpits and sniff them. In 1999, Shannon reprised the character for a feature film, titled “Superstar” after Gallagher’s iconic catchphrase. In SNL’s age of recurring catchphrases, Mary Katherine Gallagher truly was a superstar.
11Opera Man
Opera Man was a recurring character on Weekend Update played by Adam Sandler. Donning a black cape, long hair, and a handkerchief, Opera Man would sing operatic songs about current events. Oftentimes, they were easy to understand for audiences, as he would rarely ever sing in actual Italian, only adding “-o” to the end of most words.
The character remained dormant for a long time following Sandler’s sudden firing from the show. Finally, he was able to reprise the role in 2015 during the 40th Anniversary Special, and then again on Weekend Update during Sandler’s hosting gig in 2019. Suffice it to say, the audience’s reaction indicated that Opera Man had been deeply missed-o.
10David S. Pumpkins
Tom Hanks is a legend in the world ofSaturday Night Live, having hosted the show a total of ten times (if you count his COVID-19 lockdown appearance). Even now, Hanks is still able to make waves in pop culture when he appears on SNL. There’s no greater example of Hanks' commitment than the phenomenon that is David S. Pumpkins.
David S. Pumpkins' first appeared in the sketch “Haunted Elevator.” In it, a couple questions the scariness of a Halloween ride that heavily features the Halloween-suited Pumpkins and his skeleton sidekicks (Bobby Moynihan and Mikey Day) The character’s popularity was instant, forcing SNL to revive him in his own animated Halloween special in 2017.
9Nick The Lounge Singer
Bill Murray had a rough start on SNL, entering as the wildly popular Chevy Chase’s replacement in the second season. However, he soon gained audiences' favor with Nick The Lounge Singer. This overenthusiastic performer at run-of-the-mill establishments would always change up the lyrics to popular songs he sings.
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In his most famous appearance, Nick provided lyrics to John Williams' iconicStar Warstheme. The character was popular enough in the late 70s to practically jumpstart Bill Murray’s career as a comedy-leading man. He even reprised the character at SNL’s 40th anniversary, singing lyrics for theJawstheme.
8Debbie Downer
Debbie Downer, played by Rachel Dratch, is a woman who accompanies people to events and constantly brings up bad news. Her first appearance is her most famous one,ruining her friends' time at Disney World. Gradually, each cast member breaks down laughing as Debbie Downer’s remarks get more and more tragic.
Accompanied by a “wah-wah” trumpet sound and a cheery theme song, Debbie Downer would later appear many times throughout SNL’s history. Her most recent appearance was in March 2020, where she ruined a wedding by mentioning the coronavirus. At least that time, Debbie Downer’s worries were justified.
7Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer
Phil Hartman is one ofSaturday Night Live’s greatest players, mostly for his ability to be absurd and straight-faced at the same time. There’s no better example of this than Keyrock, a Neanderthal thawed out of ice who later becomes a lawyer. It’s a perfect vehicle for Hartman, getting to look ridiculous while speaking in a smarmy manner.
The key to Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer’s appeal to audiences comes entirely in Hartman’s performance. Speaking to a jury, Keyrock describes his confusion with the modern world in a smooth, eloquent fashion. However, it becomes clear through his interactions with the judge that this is all just typical lawyer-like manipulation.
6Garth And Kat
Many of SNL’s greatest characters appear on Weekend Update, the show’s news segment. Garth and Kat, played by Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig, respectively, are singers who come to promote their new holiday albums. The only problem is, they’ve arrived late and/or unprepared, and end up improvising their songs on the spot.
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What makes these characters so great, besides Armisen and Wiig’s performances, is that they became as popular as they were through mere improv. According to Wiig, the two would truly not prepare and would have to come up with the song live on air. That kind of commitment to the sketch is what makes these characters so memorable.
5Harry Caray
Will Ferrell’s tenure onSaturday Night Liveprovided many of the show’s best characters, from old prospector Gus Chiggins to the Lovers with Rachel Dratch. However, one of his best characters on the show washis impression of sports commentatorHarry Caray. The performance was even part of Ferrell’s SNL audition.
Ferrell’s Harry Caray sometimes appeared on Weekend Update, but he would shine most as host of “Space, The Infinite Frontier.” On the show, Caray interviews scientists about outer space, confusing them with his ridiculous questions and anecdotes. The best version of this sketch stars Jeff Goldblum breaking as he watches Ferrell perform.
4Mr. Robinson
Eddie Murphy is often attributed with saving SNL in the early 80s. He became a national sensation with many of his characters, including Gumby and Buckwheat. However, his best character was Mr. Rogers' grittier counterpart, Mr. Robinson. Mr. Robinson possesses Rogers' childlike wonder but instead lives in poverty.
This character works so well due to Murphy’s mannerisms, doing almost an impression of Mr. Rogers as he explains concepts like squatter’s rights and racism to kids. Murphy even reprised the character in his hosting appearance in late 2019. There, an older Mr. Robinson struggles with gentrification and his new white neighbors.
