The juggernaut sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live has been making audiences laugh for nearly 50 years, launching the careers of some truly unforgettable comedians and performers. Since its groundbreaking premiere on October 11, 1975, the spirited show has attracted a devoted fan base that remains loyal to this day, and throughout its 49 seasons has introduced countless memorable characters and classic sketches, no matter what your opinion of the recent seasons may be.
The freshman season of the Emmy-winning program featured spectacular comedians like Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, and John Belushi, and as the years went on, more and more fresh and energetic faces would grace the Studio 8H stage. From Adam Sandler and Bill Hader to Tina Fey and Bill Murray, SNL helped a talented group of performers truly thrive and succeed. Nothing in life is guaranteed, though, and there have been a surprising number of great performers from SNL who have passed away for tragic reasons. The following SNL stars were taken too soon.
9 John Belushi (1949 – 1982)
Celebrated for his exceptional physical humor and hilarious characters like Samurai Futaba and the Greek Olympia Café owner Peter Dionisopoulos, John Belushi was an original cast member for the juggernaut series in 1975, appearing alongside fellow performers like Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, and Gilda Radner. Belushi and Aykroyd developed a close friendship after meeting at The Second City comedy troupe, with the side-splitting duo memorably creating Jake and Elwood, A.K.A. the Blues Brothers.
Substance Abuse Struggles
Belushi was known for his unpredictability and daring approach to comedy, with Rolling Stone retrospectively noting that the comedian, “was the ‘live’ in Saturday Night Live” and was “the one who made the show happen on the edge … Nobody embodied the highs and lows of SNL like Belushi.” The funny man departed the series along with Aykroyd in 1979 to pursue a silver screen career, unforgettably appearing in films like Animal House, 1941, and of course the beloved cult classic The Blues Brothers.
During his time on SNL, Belushi (like many of his fellow cast members and writers) used drugs heavily and according to creator Lorne Michaels, was fired and rehired more than any performer because of his drug abuse. Belushi struggled with drug addiction most of his adult life and on March 5, 1982, he overdosed on speedball (heroin and cocaine) at the Château Marmont in Los Angeles, tragically ending his promising life and Hollywood career at just 33.
8 Gilda Radner (1946 – 1989)
Powerhouse performer Gilda Radner was one of just three female comedians cast in the freshman season of SNL, showcasing her fun and fearless humor and admirable devotion to the comedy craft. During her five-year tenure on the enduring series, Radner completely dominated every skit she was in and created the delightfully obnoxious advice expert Roseanne Roseannadanna and the irate, hearing-impaired elderly lady Emily Litella. She also famously parodied broadcast journalist Barbara Walters (“Baba Wawa”), becoming one of the very first comedians to poke fun at news anchors.
Radner’s Fierce Fight Against Cancer
Throughout her stint on Saturday Night Live, Radner struggled with bulimia and also had a tumultuous relationship with cast member Bill Murray, a romance that reportedly ended badly. She left the hit show in 1980 after winning a Primetime Emmy for her sensational work, and notably went on to appear in films like First Family, Hanky Panky, and Haunted Honeymoon. Radner met actor Gene Wilder on the set of Hanky Panky and the two were subsequently married on September 18, 1984.
As she was trying to break into the film world, Radner was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer after experiencing severe fatigue and seeking treatment. After being told that she had gone into remission, in September 1988 Radner learned that her cancer had returned, and she ultimately succumbed to the illness on May 20, 1989. When news spread of Radner’s heartbreaking passing, her friend and frequent SNL host Steve Martin paid a touching tribute to the comedian, emotionally expressing, “Gilda, we miss you.”
7 Charles Rocket (1949 – 2005)
Though his stint on Saturday Night Live may have been a short one, actor and comedian Charles Rocket nonetheless left his mark on the trailblazing program, making his debut during the 1980-1981 season. Rocket was a part of a completely new group of performers, as the time period was a stormy one for SNL and saw executive producer Lorne Michaels departing and Jean Doumanian taking over his respective duties. The comedian was described as a mix between Chevy Chase and Bill Murray, but sadly the behind-the-scenes turmoil led to Rocket’s short tenure on the show.
Rocket’s Shocking Dismissal
During his single season with the comedy series, Rocket was given the honor of hosting Weekend Update and also notably portrayed the character Phil Lively, an over-the-top game show host who brought the same energy home to his family every night. He also did impersonations of celebrities like Ronald Reagan and Prince Charles, and presented the segment “The Rocket Report.” After accidentally dropping the F-bomb on February 21, 1981 during a skit, Rocket was fired from SNL and was plagued by depression soon after.
Despite the major career setback, Rocket still found success in both television and film, landing prominent roles on the big screen in Dances with Wolves, Hocus Pocus, and Dumb and Dumber, and in shows such as Moonlighting, Wings, and Touched by an Angel. Rocket sadly lost his battle with depression and took his own life on October 7, 2005, leaving behind his wife Beth and adult son Zane.
6 Phil Hartman (1948 – 1998)
Fondly referred to as “Glue” because of his supportive and giving nature towards others while on SNL, Phil Hartman joined the variety show for its 12th season in 1986 alongside fellow newcomers like Dana Carvey, Jan Hooks, and Kevin Nealon. Hartman dazzled devoted audiences every week with his uncanny impersonations of famous stars like Frank Sinatra, Michael Caine, Ronald Reagan and of course Bill Clinton, his most well-known impression. The comedian also came up with kooky original characters like Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer and Eugene, the Anal Retentive Chef, spreading infectious laughter and joy each episode.
An Inspiring Life Tragically Cut Short
After winning a Primetime Emmy Award for his contributions to SNL, Hartman departed the series in 1994 after eight seasons, feeling his style of comedy did not match that of the new batch of featured players coming in. He was already becoming a popular performer in Hollywood after providing the voice of countless characters in The Simpsons and appearing in films like So I Married an Axe Murderer, Jingle All the Way, and Studio Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service. Upon leaving SNL, Hartman went on to brilliantly portray Bill McNeal in NewsRadio, appearing in the sitcom until his devastating death in 1998.
Phil Hartman and the Tragic Family Murder of a Beloved Comedian
Phil Hartman was a respected actor and comedian famous for his hilarious work on Saturday Night Live, and whose life was tragically cut short.
Though he was experiencing massive success in his professional life and dominating both the big and small screen, Hartman was plagued by personal struggles and marital woes. His wife Brynn struggled with drug and alcohol abuse that heavily strained their marriage, so much that the comedian contemplated retiring early in hopes of saving the relationship. On May 28, 1998, Hartman was tragically shot and killed by Brynn during his sleep before she took her own life, with the heinous crime rocking the entertainment industry and leaving devoted fans of the SNL great shattered.
5 Jan Hooks (1957 – 2014)
After dipping her toes in the comedy pool by joining the Los Angeles improv troupe The Groundlings, Jan Hooks garnered widespread attention early on in the ’80s when she appeared in the HBO series Not Necessarily the News. She subsequently landed supporting roles in the films Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Wildcats before meeting with Lorne Michaels in 1985 in hopes of joining Saturday Night Live. Though Joan Cusack was ultimately chosen for the 1985–86 season, Hooks was given a second chance the following year and became a featured player alongside famous faces like Phil Hartman and Kevin Nealon.
Major Health Setbacks & Fame Fatigue
The fresh blood at SNL helped the program overcome the ratings disaster of the previous season, and Hooks showcased her playful humor and fantastic impersonations of Diane Sawyer, Bette Davis, Hillary Clinton, and Kathie Lee Gifford (among numerous others). After five seasons on the show, Hooks departed SNL and appeared in films including Batman Returns and Coneheads, as well as the television programs Designing Women, 3rd Rock from the Sun,The Simpsons, and 30 Rock.
Hooks’ career began to decline by the time the 2000s rolled, with many believing her anxiety and stressful relationship with fame was to blame for her waning star power. The comedian was also a heavy drinker who was advised by a doctor to quit drinking because of liver damage, yet Hooks refused to do so. In February 2009, she was diagnosed with leukemia (which went into remission) and experienced another health setback in 2014 when she discovered she had throat cancer. Hooks passed away in her home on October 9, 2014 at 57-years-old.
4 Andy Kaufman (1949 – 1984)
Though not an official cast member on Saturday Night Live, performance artist and quirky entertainer Andy Kaufman appeared in countless episodes of the comedy’s early seasons sporadically up until 1983. Known for his eccentric skits and unconventional characters, Kaufman brought his zany act to SNL and did sidesplitting routines, including his famous Elvis impersonation and the Mighty Mouse singalong. He notoriously asked the audience in 1983 if he should continue appearing on the show, and after a phone poll was conducted, 169,186 people voted to “Keep Andy” and 195,544 people voted to “Dump Andy.”
A Larger-Than-Life Entertainer Who Inspired Countless Comedians
Kaufman honored his word and did not return to the Studio 8H stage again, bowing out after making 16 appearances over the course of eight years on the long-running program. Nonetheless, he remained a staple on the small screen and starred as Latka Gravas in Taxi and made notable, sometimes infamous, appearances on The Merv Griffin Show, The David Letterman Show, and CWA Wrestling. Kaufman was nominated for a Golden Globe twice for his work in Taxi and even branched out into the world of wrestling, famously clashing with Jerry “The King” Lawler.
The comedian was an avid smoker and was diagnosed with lung cancer in late 1983, undergoing radiation and natural medicine treatments in hopes of healing the illness. He made his final public appearance at the March 1984 premiere of My Breakfast With Blassie, and succumbed to cancer on May 16, 1984 at 35-years-old. In the aftermath of his passing, rumors swirled that Kaufman faked his own death, fueled by the late comedian’s previous jokes about doing so, yet the hoax was eventually disproven. He would be played by Jim Carrey in Milos Forman’s excellent biographical film, Man in the Moon, which even had its own documentary, Jim & Andy.
3 Danitra Vance (1954 – 1994)
Trailblazing comedian Danitra Vance became the first African-American woman to join Saturday Night Live, making television history when she was cast as a repertory player in 1985. Prior to landing a spot on the career-launching program, Vance was a prominent performer for the improv group The Second City and a talented star in numerous Off-Broadway productions. When she first appeared on SNL for its eleventh season, she became one of the show’s first LGBTQ cast members, although her sexual orientation was never revealed during her tenure and to the public in her lifetime.
Vance’s Dazzling Stage Presence
Vance performed impersonations of celebrities like Cicely Tyson and Diahann Carroll, and came up with original characters such as motivation speaker and teen mom Cabrini Green Jackson and That Black Girl. The comedian joined the sketch show during a turbulent and uncertain time, and she swiftly became frustrated by her lack of opportunity to showcase her range and having to play stereotypical Black women. Vance, along with stars including Robert Downey Jr., Joan Cusack, and Anthony Michael Hall, were let go from the show in 1986.
Departing from Saturday Night Live did not slow Vance down, as she nabbed roles in the films Sticky Fingers and The War of the Roses and in stage productions of Spunk and The Colored Museum; the dynamic performer received both an NAACP Image Award and Obie Award for her work in the entertainment industry. Upon being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990, she spoke out about her battle in her solo skit “The Radical Girl’s Guide to Radical Mastectomy” and in her show Pre-Shrunk. Sadly, Vance passed away from the disease on August 21, 1994 at 40.
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2 Chris Farley (1967 – 1994)
Arguably one of the sketch show’s most beloved and respected performers of all time, the unparalleled Chris Farley was celebrated for his energetic and fearless approach to comedy and his overwhelming dedication to physical humor. Farley performed at Chicago’s Second City Theatre alongside Stephen Colbert before setting his sights on joining Saturday Night Live, and he was officially announced as a newcomer alongside Chris Rock in 1990 for the program’s sixteenth season.
Certified SNL & Comedy Legend
Farley, along with fellow cast members and close friends, including Adam Sandler, David Spade, and Tim Meadows, became known as the “Bad Boys of SNL” and were famous for causing chaos and hijinks while working on the show. It’s impossible to name all of Farley’s greatest sketches as he swiftly became a knockout performer on SNL, but some of the comedian’s most popular characters were the larger-than-life motivational speaker Matt Foley, Bears superfan Todd O’Connor, and one of the sassy “Gap Girls” who worked at the mall.
The bold and daring Farley was a fan-favorite during his five years on SNL, during which he branched out into the world of film in Airheads and Billy Madison. After being released from his contract in 1995, Farley focused on his cinema career and starred in Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, and Beverly Hills Ninja, frequently collaborating with close pal Spade. The comedy legend’s excessive lifestyle and struggles with obesity, substance abuse, and alcoholism ultimately led to his crushing death on December 18, 1997, when he died of an overdose at just 33; Farley’s heartbreaking end mirrored that of his idol John Belushi. Paul Walter Hauser is set to play Farley in an upcoming biopic.
1 Michael O’Donoghue (1940 – 1994)
Similarly to Andy Kaufman, writer and performer Michael O’Donaughue was not an official cast member on Saturday Night Live but was the show’s first head writer and actually the first person to deliver a line in the juggernaut hit. Prior to his impressive work in television, O’Donaughue was a leading contributor to the humor magazine National Lampoon and was revered for his cutting edge, boundary-pushing black comedy. He appeared alongside John Belushi in the 1975 opening episode as an English teacher, instructing Belushi to recite absurdist lines pertaining to wolverines.
A Difficult Yet Talented Man to Collaborate With
O’Donaughue helped create entertaining characters like the grim and cold “Mr. Mike” and Star-Trek spoof “The Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise,” but was fired from SNL after three seasons for his offensive mocking of then NBC network president Fred Silverman. The writer would subsequently be rehired and fired two additional times before officially bowing out in 1986, in large part due to his volatile mood swings and personality; it is alleged that the only cast member O’Donaughue liked was Eddie Murphy.
He subsequently went on to write for the film Scrooged starring Bill Murray as well as the unfinished film Arrive Alive with Willem Dafoe Joan Cusack, and even branched out and helped write Dolly Parton’s 1982 song “Single Women.” Perhaps his most notable work outside SNL was the parodic anthology film, Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video, which starred tons of SNL alums. After spending most of his life plagued by chronic migraine headaches that were often debilitating, O’Donaughue died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage at 54, leaving behind his wife Cheryl.
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