The 10 most underrated 'Saturday Night Live' cast members of all time
You won't find Tina Fey, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray or Adam Sandler on this list
10. Terry Sweeney
Seasons: 1985-1986
Best known for: Nancy Reagan, Joan Collins, Diana Ross
Overshadowed by: Pretty much just Jon Lovitz and Dennis Miller
Why: You've probably never heard of Terry Sweeney and good luck trying to find his fantastic work from his singular season online (there is only one clip that you can find on Hulu). Sweeney was almost revolutionary for network television in 1985. He was an openly gay man who was best known for his impersonations of First Lady Nancy Reagan (son Ron said he was more like his mom than she actually was - watch here) and a killer Diana Ross ("Don't touch"). Dennis Miller gets most of the "groundbreaking" credit for Lorne Michael's comeback season as producer, but it was Sweeney who was trailblazing into the nation's living rooms.
-Gregory Ellwood
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March 17, 2013 at 2:52AM EST Reply to CommentNo Darrel Hammond? I thought he took what Phil Hartman did to the next level and Parnell just couldn't quite do as good.
Damon
March 17, 2013 at 8:18AM EST Reply to CommentI'd add Will Forte.
poopdeck3030 Great one along with Kevin Nealon...Otherwise pretty solid list!
April 17, 2013 at 1:12AM ESTKatie G
March 17, 2013 at 8:43AM EST Reply to CommentI would put Mark McKinney on this list in a second. Phil Hartman was underrated? Are you kidding?
sepinwall Here's the argument I made when we were voting: Phil is clearly an inner circle SNL Hall of Famer, but he was never at any point the star of his particular cast. Carvey and Lovitz were the headliners when he arrived, and then Myers, Farley, Sandler, etc got more attention in his later years. We were told to vote based on how they were perceived during their time on the show.
March 17, 2013 at 9:56AM ESTbigwhad I wouldnt put Mark on this list because his work on The Kids in the Hall totally overshadows anything he did on SNL
April 12, 2013 at 7:33PM ESTnath I think I agree with Alan. If people think of you as a top-10 cast member of all time, and you're really top-3, then you're underrated. Hartman was always overshadowed but may have been the most important cast member every single season he was there.
April 15, 2013 at 5:19PM EST
March 17, 2013 at 9:47AM EST Reply to CommentNasim pedrad is not funny
March 17, 2013 at 11:10AM EST Reply to CommentParnell isn't funny at all. He is extremely annoying actually
Camille
March 17, 2013 at 11:25AM EST Reply to CommentNo Rachel Dratch?
Ericm
March 19, 2013 at 2:29AM EST Reply to CommentWhy no Victoria Jackson? Oh yeah because this is the LIBRUL media. Pshhhh
Dan Somebody had to get political. A lifelong SNL fan, I can't really name any recurring Victoria Jackson characters except for the shrill voiced airhead. Oh wait, that was just her.
March 22, 2013 at 7:16PM ESTERICM How dare you say that about the woman I rub my johnson to???
March 22, 2013 at 9:33PM ESTbrag0031 Yeah, but she was the BEST airhead the show has ever had. Every other female performer since then that has done an airhead routine has been SO annoying. Remember Melanie Hutsell? Every time she was onscreen I wanted to f***ing shoot myself.
March 23, 2013 at 2:12AM ESTMark Claxton
March 20, 2013 at 7:45PM EST Reply to CommentRyan McGhee, in your Jan Hooks critique you used the phrase "and that's a shame" twice...and that's a shame in an otherwise spot-on review. Better editing next time, eh?
Chuck Rivers
March 22, 2013 at 2:30PM EST Reply to CommentReplace Phil Hartman with Cheri Oteri. Not because Cheri Oteri is better... but because she was definitely underrated, and Hartman was not.
Hartman had his shot in at least two movies I can recall. It may not be fair to judge in movies where he wasn't the lead, but at the same time, he didn't show me anything that made me think leading man material. I think his strength was playing supporting background character, not lead.
Cheri Oteri was probably the second funniest female comic in her time on the show, after Ana Gastyer. Molly Shannon was.. JUST... AWFUL... and how "Superstar" got greenlit and a movie about the cheerleaders didn't is beyond me. Not that a cheerleaders movie would have broken box office records, but it could not have possibly been worse... plus it would have allowed more Will Farrell screen time.
I'm rambling... in conclusion... Cheri Oteri is missing from this list. I never found her less than entertaining.
Dan
March 22, 2013 at 7:12PM EST Reply to CommentJan Hooks may be the most irritating person in the history of the show.
brag0031
March 23, 2013 at 2:05AM EST Reply to CommentI've always thought Jan Hooks and Nora Dunn were one of the best duos the show has had since Akroyd and Belushi.
I think Chris Parnell and Ana Gasteyer have really come into their own as Fred and Sheila Shay on Suburgatory.
Jim
March 25, 2013 at 2:13PM EST Reply to Commenttina fey has to be the most over rated alumina of SNL.
outside of looking like Sarah Palin with the right make up just exactly what talent does she have other than being annoying especially when paired with Alec Baldwin.
elvis
April 6, 2013 at 6:30PM EST Reply to CommentHartman was as good as anyone on SNL.
hugh
April 6, 2013 at 6:32PM EST Reply to CommentVictoria jackson had best rack of any female SNLers...
Here'sJohnny
April 17, 2013 at 10:20AM EST Reply to CommentTim Kazurinsky!!! I used to watch SNL just for his "herpes" segments alone.