Saturday Night Live has officially established itself as an institution of television, celebrating 50 years on the air with the Saturday Night Live 50 special airing on Sunday, February 16.
The show first began airing on October 11, 1975, and over the years, the live sketch variety show has made stars of its cast members, from Emmy winners like Julia Louis-Dreyfus to late night hosts like Jimmy Fallon.
However, it all began with a cast of nine 50 years ago. While two of those, George Coe and Michael O. Donoghue, were only credited for a few episodes and left soon after, the initial seven “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” were part of creating history with the Lorne Michaels show.
Take a look at the seven original cast members of SNL back in 1975 and where they are now, from comedic legends to late greats…
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© Getty ImagesChevy Chase
Chevy Chase, now 81, was the breakout star of the first SNL season, thanks to his recurring segment, Weekend Update. He left the show early in its second season to become a major movie star, thanks to franchises like Caddyshack, National Lampoon’s Vacation and Fletch.
He hosted the Oscars twice in the ’80s and briefly fronted the talk show The Chevy Chase Show in 1993. He experienced a career resurgence in the 2010s thanks to his role in Community, although was killed off due to his disagreements with the showrunners. His most recent onscreen role was in 2024’s The Christmas Letter.
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© Getty ImagesDan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd, now 72, was a popular writer and cast member on SNL until his exit in 1979, and went on to become one of the leads of the beloved Ghostbusters in 1984, appearing in other films in the franchise. He also earned praise for his turn in the Blues Brothers film franchise opposite SNL colleague John Belushi, plus films like Trading Places (1983) and Chaplin (1992).
He earned an Oscar nomination for his supporting turn in 1989’s Driving Miss Daisy, expanding his range with several dramatic roles. His latest onscreen appearance was 2024’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Dan also co-founded the House of Blues music venues chain and Crystal Head Vodka.
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© Getty ImagesJane Curtin
Jane Curtin, now 77, was a cast member on SNL until 1980, before earning acclaim for the ’80s sitcom Kate & Allie, winning two back-to-back Primetime Emmys for her lead role. She also starred in 3rd Rock from the Sun from 1996-2001 and appeared in the Librarian TV movie series and 1993’s Coneheads.
Jane has made several more appearances in TV and even on Broadway, although maintains a lower profile than several of her other former cast mates. She has returned to SNL several times over the years, and will next be seen in the upcoming Netflix mystery drama The Residence.
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© Getty ImagesGarrett Morris
Garrett Morris, now 88, was the first Black cast member of SNL and remained with the show until 1980, then going on to establish himself as a star in several sitcoms, owning and operating a comedy club in Los Angeles (The Downtown Comedy Club), and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2024.
His most notable sitcom roles include Jimmy on The Jeffersons (1983-84), Stan Winters on Martin (1992-95), Junior “Uncle Junior” King on The Jamie Foxx Show (1996-2001) and Earl Washington on 2 Broke Girls (2011-2017).
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© Getty ImagesLaraine Newman
Laraine Newman, now 72, was an original SNL cast member and writer until 1980, and then turned her focus to work as a journalist and with films like Invaders from Mars (1986), Coneheads (1993) and The Flintstones (1994) before pivoting to voice acting.
She has most notably voiced several characters in Pixar classics like Finding Nemo (2003), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009) and Inside Out (2015) plus its 2024 sequel, most recently appearing in the 2025 film Dog Man. Her daughter is acclaimed Hacks star and comedian Hannah Einbinder.
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© Getty ImagesJohn Belushi
John Belushi quickly became one of the most notorious and beloved cast members on SNL thanks to his many impressions, remaining with the show until 1980 to pursue his other comedic aspirations, including a partnership with Dan Aykroyd.
The two started the musical group The Blues Brothers, leading to the film of the same name, plus appearances in 1978’s Animal House and 1981’s Neighbors, his final film role. He struggled with substance abuse during his life, however, and in 1982, he died of a fatal overdose at the age of 33.
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© Getty ImagesGilda Radner
Gilda Radner remained a pivotal character actor during her tenure on SNL until 1980, even winning an Emmy for her work. She brought several of her SNL characters to life on stage in the Broadway show Gilda, Live, and then a 1980 film adaptation.
She appeared in several films with her husband Gene Wilder as well and continued a prolific TV career in the ’80s. However, Gilda suffered from ovarian cancer during the final few years of her life, and tragically passed away in 1989 at the age of 42.
