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Catch up with the original Not Ready for Primetime Players of &34;Saturday Night Live&34; including Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, and more. Saturday Ni

Catch up with the original Not Ready for Primetime Players of "Saturday Night Live" including Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, and more.

Saturday Night Live season 1 cast: Where are they now?

Catch up with the original Not Ready for Primetime Players of "Saturday Night Live" including Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, and more.

By Jillian Sederholm

Jillian Sederholm

Jillian Sederholm is news director at *. *She has worked at EW for more than eight years. Jillian has previously worked as a reporter, social media editor, and homepage producer at NBC News, Digital First Media, Newsday, and *Random Lengths News.*

EW's editorial guidelines

on October 11, 2025 8:00 a.m. ET

NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

*Saturday Night Live* premiered on Oct. 11, 1975, turning several members of its original cast of unknowns into comedy superstars, and making TV history that has endured five decades and counting.

The now legendary NBC sketch comedy show began as a replacement for reruns of* The Tonight Show* that then-host Johnny Carson no longer wanted to air on the weekends. Called *NBC's Saturday Night *at the time to avoid confusion with the short-lived *Saturday Night Live With Howard Cosell *on ABC, the show was the brainchild of Canadian producer Lorne Michaels.

The season 1 cast, known as the Not Ready for Prime Time Players, consisted of Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner, plus head writer Michael O'Donoghue, a cast member for just three episodes, and George Coe, who was only officially on the cast for the premiere. The seven major cast members were inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2017, including posthumous honors for Belushi and Radner.**

Chevy Chase in the first 'Saturday Night Live' sketch on Oct. 11, 1975.

*SNL*, which holds the record for most Emmy nominations of any television show in history, is currently in its 51st season. In February 2025, the show celebrated with a three-hour 50th anniversary special that included appearances from Chase, Curtin, Morris, and Newman, with the surviving female cast members holding up a photo of the late Radner during the show's goodnights.

Gilda Radner roasted Victor Garber for deserting costars: 'I still feel incredible guilt'

Meet the 5 new 'SNL' cast members for season 51

Read on to learn more about *SNL*'s season 1* *cast and what they went on to do after their time on the show.**

Edie Baskin/Warner Bros./Archive Photos/Getty; Mary Kouw/CBS via Getty

Dan Aykroyd was the youngest member of the original *SNL *cast, turning 23 just months before the premiere. He spent four seasons at *SNL, *where he gained fame for impersonations of celebrities such as Julia Child and President Jimmy Carter, and memorable characters like corrupt toy maker Irwin Mainway, "Coneheads" patriarch Beldar, the "Super Bass-O-Matic" pitchman, "Wild and Crazy Guy" Yortuk Festrunk alongside frequent host Steve Martin, and of course Elwood opposite Belushi's Jake of "The Blues Brothers."

Aykroyd earned five Emmy nominations during his tenure, winning for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series in 1977. He left the show in 1979 to find success on the big screen. In 1980, Aykroyd and Belushi fronted the first *SNL* sketch-turned-movie, *The Blues Brothers.* In addition to his most popular role as Ray Stantz in the *Ghostbusters* franchise, he's starred in* Trading Places, Dragnet, The Great Outdoors, Driving Miss Daisy *(earning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination), *My Girl, Chaplin, Sneakers, *and led two more *SNL* spinoffs, *Coneheads* and* Blues Brothers 2000.***

Aykroyd returned to *SNL* for guest appearances several times over the years, including as host of the season 28 finale in 2003.****

John Belushi

Courtesy Everett Collection; Ron Galella Collection via Getty

John Belushi spent four seasons at *SNL*, and made a big impact. He was the other half of the Blues Brothers; the belligerent katana-wielding Samurai Futaba; the "cheeseburger cheeseburger"-repeating Greek owner of the Olympia Cafe; and a regular contributor of furious opinion pieces on "Weekend Update." He also did hit impressions of Henry Kissinger, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Captain James T. Kirk. Belushi was also part of the group honored with the Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series Emmy in 1977, and was scored nominations for her performance on the show.

Belushi became a film star while still on *Saturday Night Live*, leading *National Lampoon's Animal House *in 1978. The following year, he left the sketch show alongside Aykroyd, his close friend and frequent collaborator. He went on to star in *Blues Brothers,* *1941*, and 1981's *Neighbors. *

The beloved comedian's career was cut short when he died of a drug overdose on March 5, 1982, at age 33. He received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004.

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Larry Busacca/Getty

Chevy Chase's stint on *SNL *was short lived, but he made a huge impact. The charming comedian was the first to utter, "Live from New York, it's Saturday night!" on the season 1 premiere, and as the show's original "Weekend Update" anchor. With the news segment's regular sign-off, "I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not," he was also the only cast member to identify himself on every episode, quickly making him the most recognizable of the show's cast. The comedian with a penchant for pratfalls also did a popular impression of a clumsy President Gerald Ford and played the Landshark.

Chase was the first original cast member to exit the show, leaving just six episodes into season 2. Though he later expressed regret at leaving so early, Chase had a tremendously successful film career in the decade following his departure. His films include *Foul Play, Caddyshack, Fletch, Fletch Lives, Spies Like Us, Three Amigos, *and the National Lampoon's Vacation franchise, including holiday staple, *National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. *After a decline in the success in the '90s, Chase found a career resurgence in 2009 with popular sitcom, *Community, *but mutually parted ways with the show after reportedly using a racist slur on set.

The actor returned to *SNL* numerous times after leaving, becoming the first former cast member to join the show's elite Five-Timers Club for frequent hosts. Chase also built a reputation for being notoriously difficult to work with, to which the actor has said he doesn't "give a crap." Despite both admitted and rumored altercations during his return appearances on *SNL*, Chase continued to make being invited back to the show, including for the 40th anniversary special in 2015.**

Owen Franken/Corbis via Getty; Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Jane Curtin starred on *SNL* for five seasons, often playing the straight woman to the zany characters around her. Following Chase's departure during season 2, Curtain took over the "Weekend Update" desk, first anchoring solo, then paired with Aykroyd from 1977–78, and co-anchoring with Bill Murray from 1978-80. She also played a number of mothers, including Coneheads matriarch Prymaat and Radner's mom in "The Nerds" sketches.

Curtin, who was nominated for two Emmys during her time on *SNL,* left the sketch show in 1980. She went on to much success on TV, including two Emmy wins for the sitcom* Kate & Allie*, and later starred on hit series *3rd Rock From the Sun. *She's also appeared in *SNL* film, *Coneheads*,* I Love You, Man, The Heat, *and* Can You Ever Forgive Me? *Curtin will next be seen in Netflix mystery series, *The Residence.*

The actress returned for *Saturday Night Live'*s 40th anniversary special in 2015, taking a seat at the "Weekend Update" desk alongside Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Curtin has said that she did not enjoy a recent rewatch of her time on *SNL, *insisting, "Not one thing was funny. There was not one utterance of a laugh or a giggle."**

Garrett Morris

Garrett Morris.

Courtesy Everett Collection

Garrett Morris was the oldest Not Ready for Primetime Player at 38 when the show began, and also the show's first and only Black cast member until Eddie Murphy in 1980. He came to the show as a Julliard-trained theater actor, playwright, singer, and civil rights activist. On *SNL, *Morris played the recurring characters, Chico Escuela, a Dominican baseball player for the New York Mets; Merkon, leader of the Coneheads; Cliff, the streetwise friend to Aykroyd and Martin's "Wild and Crazy Guys;" Grant Robinson, Jr in "The Nerds" sketches; and the shouting interpreter for the "News for the Hard of Hearing."

He left in 1980 after five seasons. After *SNL, *Morris was cast on sitcoms like *The Jeffersons, Roc, Martin, Two Broke Girls, *and* The Jamie Foxx Show, *and the limited series, *Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker. *He also appeared in the films, *Cooley High, Car Wash, How High, The Longshots*, and cameoed in 2015's *Ant-Man*, in a nod to playing the tiny superhero on *SNL. *The octogenarian remains a working actor, recently appearing on shows like* Station 19, This Is Us, Black Lady Sketch Show, Grand Crew, *and* How I Met Your Father.*

Morris returned to* SNL *for a season 28 cameo in an "Astronaut Jones" sketch in 2002.

Laraine Newman

Laraine Newman.

NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection; Emma McIntyre/Getty

Laraine Newman spent five seasons on *SNL *where she did impressions of Katharine Hepburn and Barbara Streisand, and characters like "Coneheads" daughter, Connie Conehead; stereotypical Valley girl Sherry; and Christie Christina, the ditzy cohost to Aykroyd's sleazy public access host E. Buzz Miller.

Newman left the show in 1980 when Michaels departed, along with the rest of the remaining cast and nearly all of the writers. (Michaels returned in 1985.) She returned for the 40th anniversary special in 2015, where she reprised her Sherry character for a "Californians" sketch.**

After *SNL, *Newman appeared in movies like* Stardust Memories, Problem Child 2, The Flintstones, *and* SNL* film, *Coneheads*, taking on the role of Connie's aunt instead, as well as shows like *7th Heaven *and* Ghosts*. She's also worked steadily as a voice actress, including in numerous Pixar movies. Her children are both also in the comedy business, Emmy-winner Hannah Einbinder plays Ava on *Hacks* and Spike Einbinder has appeared on *And Just Like That,* *Fantasmas, *and* Los Espookys.***

Gilda Radner

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Gilda Radner spent five seasons captivating fans on *SNL* with characters like Emily Litella, a rambling elderly "Weekend Update" character; Roseanne Roseannadanna, the news segment's brash consumer affairs reporter; Lisa Loopner of "The Nerds" alongside "pizza face" Bill Murray; and Baba Wawa, a parody of journalist Barbara Walters. Radner won an Emmy for her work on the show.

After leaving *SNL *in the mass exodus of 1980, Radner made several movies with Gene Wilder, including *Hanky Panky, The Woman in Red, *and *Haunted Honeymoon. *The pair became inseparable and married in 1984.

In 1986, the comedian was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer and underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy treatment, which took a physical and emotional toll. After a brief period of remission, her cancer returned in 1988. Radner detailed her painful journey with cancer in her 1989 memoir,* It's Always Something. *She died on May 20, 1989. Radner had been slated to host SNL in 1988, but the episode was canceled due to writers' strike.

After her death, Wilder and others founded Gilda's Club, an organization for people with cancer and their families, in her honor. She received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003.**

Michael O'Donoghue

Michael O'Donoghue.

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Michael O'Donoghue was *SNL*'s first head writer and the first performer to deliver a line on the show, in the season 1 cold open, "Wolverines," playing an English-language teacher to Belushi. Known for his dark humor and prickly persona, he only appeared as a credited cast member on the show's first three episodes, but remained a writer on and off through 1986, reportedly being fired three different times along the way.**

O'Donoghue died of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 54 on Nov. 8, 1994.

NBC; Valerie Macon/Getty

Although he briefly appeared in several episodes of *SNL*, George Coe was only a credited cast member on the season 1 premiere.

After *SNL, *Coe starred in* Kramer vs. Kramer, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, The Mighty Ducks, *and* Funny People.* He was nominated for an Oscar for his 1968 short, *The Dove,* a parody of Ingmar Bergman's films. Coe lent his voice to Woodhouse, the put-upon butler, on the animated sitcom *Archer*, and appeared in such shows as *Murder, She Wrote, The Golden Girls, Bones, Judging Amy, The King of Queens, Nip/Tuck, Grey's Anatomy, Columbo, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gilmore Girls, *and *The West Wing.*

Coe died after a long illness on July 18, 2015, and age 86.**

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*SNL* airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.****

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