Top 50 Most Unforgettable SNL Hosts of All Time

William Shatner is a one-time host of the Christmas episode of the twelfth season. He is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the “Star Trek” franchise. The highlight of his episode was when he spoke to fans at the “Star Trek” convention as himself.

The comedic legend was a three-time host in the ’80s. Williams started his career in stand-up comedy and then established a successful film career. He is best known for his roles in “Dead Poets Society,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” and “Aladdin.” Williams’s last appearance on SNL was in 2010 during the “What Up With That” sketch.

Swift has appeared as a musical guest five times over the years. However, she was a one-time host in 2009, becoming the youngest person to write her opening monologue. Seth Meyers reflected on her hosting gig years later on the Howard Stern Show, saying, “Here’s a 19-year-old who nobody is really helping out; nobody gave her a manual on how to do that show. And yet, she came to us and said, ‘I wrote a song for the opening monologue… it’s a perfect SNL monologue. Fully formed.'”

Dwayne Johnson is part of the elite Five-Timers Club. He has hosted numerous times since 2000 and has been a fan-favorite. His latest appearance was during the finale in 2017. His most iconic SNL appearance was in 2009 as “The Rock Obama” in a cold open sketch.

Dave Chappelle has hosted SNL three times, in 2016, 2020, and 2022. For his appearances in 2016 and 2020, he won two Emmy Awards for “Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.” In 2022, he returned to host SNL for the third time. All three appearances occurred the week after an election: the first two were after presidential elections, and the third was following the midterms.

Bergen became the first woman to host SNL back in 1975. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom “Murphy Brown.” Bergen presented at the recent Emmy Awards and received a standing ovation upon walking out. She remains a beloved comedy icon!

Pryor is regarded as one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time and was the first black person to host SNL in 1975. One of the highlights of the night was a sketch with Chevy Chase during “word association”. Richard later hosted his own short lived comedy show at NBC.

Barrymore became the youngest person to ever host SNL at 7 years old in 1982, following her appearance in “E.T.” This record remains unbroken as of September 2024. Barrymore’s latest appearance on the show was in 2009.

Diaz has hosted SNL four times over the years and has made memorable appearances each time. She has also made cameo appearances a few times, most notably introducing her then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake as the musical guest in 2006. Her most recent appearance was in 2014 as part of the Thanksgiving episode for the 40th season.

Murphy was a main cast member of SNL from 1980 to 1984. He returned to the show in 2019 and won an Emmy for his hosting appearance. Since his SNL days, Murphy has been regarded as a major movie star, with notable appearances in “Shrek”, “Dreamgirls”, and “The Nutty Professor”.

Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player of all time. However, many people are unaware of his memorable hosting appearance on SNL. He hosted the Season 17 premiere in 1991.

Stone is a bona fide movie star with two Academy Awards to her name. She also has fantastic comedic timing, which she has showcased on Saturday Night Live. In 2023, when she joined the Five-Timer Club, she received a Five-Timer jacket from fellow members Tina Fey and Candice Bergen during her opening monologue.

Jerry has not hosted SNL since 1999, but he had two well-regarded appearances on the show in the 90s. His latest appearance was in 2013 during the opening monologue. We hope to see Jerry make another appearance on the show soon!

Haddish is a one time host from 2017 but made a memorable appearance. She won an Emmy award for her episode. Tiffany was the first Black female stand-up comedian to host the show in 43 seasons.

Grande hosted the show in 2016 and is returning to host this fall, with musical guest Stevie Nicks. She made the list due to her iconic celebrity impersonation skit that went viral, showcasing her fantastic vocal chops.

Adam Driver is an American actor best known for his breakout role on HBO’s “Girls.” Typically a serious actor, he’s thrived every time he’s hosted SNL. He stands out as a versatile performer who can make people laugh, despite his more intense approach to his craft.

Buck Henry was an actor, screenwriter, and director. He’s best known for co-writing ‘The Graduate” with Mike Nichols. Henry is only one of 5 people to host at least 10 times.

Tomlin began her career as a stand-up comedian and performed off-Broadway in the 1960s. Her big break came when she joined the cast of the variety show “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”, where she entertained audiences from 1969 to 1973. Her three SNL appearances are still remembered to this day.

Legions of fans are anxiously awaiting Maya Rudolph’s highly anticipated return as Kamala Harris on SNL. Maya has won an Emmy for her work on the show and is expected to be nominated again next year for her portrayal of Harris. She hosted the finale of the 49th season in May 2024.

Timberlake joined the Five-Timers Club in 2013 and has not hosted since. However, he has appeared in numerous sketches since then and was a musical guest in January 2024, performing alongside host Dakota Johnson.

From her hit sitcom “Abbott Elementary”, Quinta Brunson hosted SNL in April 2023 and earned an Emmy nomination for her appearance on the show. We hope to see Brunson return soon, especially with Season 4 of “Abbott Elementary” premiering next month on ABC.

Jon Hamm is best known for his roles in series like “Mad Men” and “The Morning Show”. He hosted SNL three times in the 2000s and has made nearly ten cameo appearances since then. Hamm was hilarious in a sketch with Bill Hader called “Game Time with Randy and Greg.”

Ryan Gosling is an incredibly charismatic actor known for movies like “La La Land” and “Barbie.” In 2024, he hosted SNL and closed the door on his era as Ken with a monologue inspired by Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well.” Gosling was nominated for an Emmy for his hosting stint.

Paul Rudd is another member of the Five-Timers Club, with his most recent hosting appearance in 2021. He is best known for his work in movies like “Ant-Man” and “This Is 40”. Rudd made a cameo during Kristen Wiig’s monologue in April 2024. He is currently appearing as a surprise guest star in the latest season of “Only Murders in the Building”.

Sandra Oh is best known for her roles in series like Killing Eve and Grey’s Anatomy. She hosted SNL once in 2019 and was the third actress of Asian descent to host the show, following Lucy Liu and Awkwafina.

Ariana DeBose hosted SNL in 2023 during the campaign for “West Side Story.” She went on to win an Academy Award for her performance in the film. Her monologue was a musical one that featured Kate McKinnon.

Mulaney started as a writer on SNL from 2008 to 2013. He returned to host in 2018 and joined the Five-Timers Club in 2022. He is set to host on November 2nd, with musical guest Chappell Roan.

Paul is a close friend of SNL creator Lorne Michaels. He has hosted the show five times and been a musical guest thirteen times over the years. There is a common misconception that Paul has only hosted four times, as the 100th episode apparently did not have a host. However, he did host that episode alongside musical guest James Taylor.

Ayo Edebiri from “The Bear” hosted SNL in February 2024, with musical guest Jennifer Lopez. A resurfaced clip from 2020 featured Ayo making fun of Jennifer Lopez’s singing ability. Edebiri tearfully apologized to Jennifer before the show and playfully addressed it in a sketch, showcasing her ability to laugh at herself.

Ian McKellen is considered a British cultural icon and has been in everything from Shakespearean dramas to science fiction. Ian is a serious actor and it was refreshing to see him in a comedic setting.

Emmy and Grammy winner Donald Glover took on double duty in 2018 as both host and musical guest. He has since gone on to create and star in the series “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” We hope to see him return to the show soon!

Miley Cyrus has hosted SNL three times. Her first appearance came shortly after “Hannah Montana” ended on Disney Channel and featured a performance spoofing her song “Nobody’s Perfect.” In 2013, she took on double duty to promote her album Bangerz. This was during the peak of Cyrus’s controversial run of appearances, making for a memorable episode.

Manning is considered one of the greatest Quarterbacks of all time and has appeared on SNL once to host in 2007. He made a cameo in 2022 for a “Weekend Update” appearance on the NFL Playoffs.

Goodman is the star with the third most SNL hosting appearances, totaling 13. Vanity Fair has called him “among our very finest actors,” while IndieWire named him one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination. His SNL appearances remain memorable to this day, and we hope to see a 14th episode soon.

The “Friends” star has only hosted SNL once, in 1996, and we would love to see her make another appearance soon. Kudrow originally auditioned for SNL before landing the role of Phoebe. She has a new Netflix show coming out entitled “No Good Deed”, and it would be amazing to see Lisa return to 30 Rock soon.

Scarlett Johansson is married to SNL star Colin Jost, but she appeared on the show long before she met her future husband. Johansson has hosted SNL six times in her illustrious career and has made many memorable appearances since.

Melissa McCarthy is best known for her roles in “Bridesmaids” and “The Heat” but has also made unforgettable appearances on SNL. She took home an Emmy in 2017 for her latest hosting gig.

Academy Award winner, Christopher Walken has hosted SNL seven times and made his most recent cameo in 2023. He previously had mispronounced the band “Foo Fighters” when introducing them as a musical guest. In 2023, he returned to funnily correct his past mistake.

Kristen Wiig was a cast member of SNL from 2005 to 2012. She went on to be nominated for an Academy Award for writing the screenplay for “Bridesmaids”. In 2024, she joined the Five-Timers Club and was nominated for an Emmy for her role in “Palm Royale”.

Jason was a sketch writer on SNL from 2005 to 2013, occasionally making appearances as an extra in sketches. He returned to 30 Rock in 2021 following the success of his show “Ted Lasso,” where he won four Emmy Awards over three seasons.

Bill Hader was a cast member of “Saturday Night Live” from 2005 to 2013. After leaving the show, he pursued other projects and began developing “Barry” for HBO, for which he won two Emmys. Hader returned to host in both 2014 and 2018.

The comedic legend, Betty White surprisingly only hosted SNL once in her lifetime. She took home an Emmy for her episode and is one of the highest rated of all time. White holds the oldest person ever to host at 88 years old.

Short was a cast member of SNL from 1984 to 1985. He is known for his performances in movies like “Father of the Bride” and series such as “Only Murders in the Building”. His most recent appearance was co-hosting with co-star Steve Martin in 2022.

Adam Sandler was a cast member on SNL from 1991-1995 and returned to host in 2019. His films have grossed over 2 Billion Dollars worldwide. Sandler received an Emmy nomination for hosting the show in 2019.

Rock was famously fired from SNL after he was seeking out the series “In Living Color”. Rock has returned to host three times since leaving the show.

David was a writer on SNL from 1984-1985 before developing “Seinfeld”. David returned to host in 2016 and 2017. Larry earned an Emmy nomination for his first time hosting in 2016.

While it may not have been the best episode, history was made when Al Gore hosted SNL in 2002, becoming the only Vice President to do so. He hosted the musical episode during the show’s 28th season and returned for cameos in 2006 and 2009.

Baldwin holds the record for hosting seventeen times. His performances have ranged from memorable impersonations, most notably his portrayal of former President Donald Trump, to engaging sketches that have lived on as some of the best of the show. He took home an Emmy in 2017 for Best Supporting Actor for playing Donald Trump.

Tom Hanks, one of the most accomplished actors of all time with two Academy Awards and six nominations, has hosted SNL ten times. He was nominated for an Emmy for his hosting appearance in 2016. Hanks frequently makes cameos on the show, including in 2022 with host Jack Harlow.

While Steve is one appearance away from tying the record for the most hosting stints, he is truly one of the best of the best. Martin is best known for his roles in “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and “Parenthood”. As one of the most popular stand-up comedians of all time, he is poised to return again, with his series “Only Murders in the Building” currently airing its fourth season, and a fifth season to come. However, Steve recently turned down the option to play the Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz for the upcoming 50th season.