This weekend will see the wide theatrical release of Saturday Night, Jason Reitman’s comic chronicle about what happened at NBC’s New York studios commencing 10 PM EST on October 11, 1975—an hour and a half before America was first introduced to Saturday Night Live.
Well, that seemingly doomed-to-fail 90 minutes of live sketch comedy and musical performances has only gone on to a half-century run and become an institution in broadcast entertainment. Over those decades, many capable comedians and character players became household names from their stints with SNL—and thereafter made the leap to Hollywood, where they’d bring their gifts to feature film farces.
This one ought to spark a lot of multigenerational debate: Of the SNL alumni listed below, whose efforts in the movies have brought you the most laughs? Feel free to share your reasoning—or point out who you think has been omitted—in the comments section!