The 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live (SNL) marks a significant milestone for the long-running sketch comedy show, which first aired on October 11, 1975. Over the decades, SNL has played a key role in shaping American humor and launching the careers of many comedians.
While SNL is known as a New York-based production, several University of California (UC) alumni have contributed to its success as cast members and writers. Their involvement highlights the influence of UC graduates on national entertainment.
Mikey Day graduated from UCLA with a theater degree in 2002. He began working as an SNL writer in 2013 and became a cast member in 2016. Day is known for pitching the David S. Pumpkins skit featuring Tom Hanks, where he also performed as one of the backup-dancing skeletons.
Will Forte earned his history degree from UCLA in 1993 before moving into comedy after an unsatisfying stint at a brokerage firm. Forte’s performances included memorable sketches such as playing a spelling bee contestant struggling with the word “business.”
Taran Killam studied theater at UCLA for one year before focusing on acting full-time. During his six years on SNL, Killam was featured in various sketches, including one with Tina Fey about airline gate agents announcing boarding groups.
Jon Lovitz received his bachelor’s degree in theater from UC Irvine in 1979 and later joined The Groundlings comedy troupe before becoming an SNL cast member in 1985. His notable characters include Tommy Flanagan and Master Thespian.
Nasim Pedrad grew up in Irvine and earned her bachelor’s degree from UCLA. Inspired by Tina Fey, she created a one-woman show that led to her auditioning for SNL at Fey’s encouragement. Pedrad was part of the cast from 2009 to 2014 and worked with Fey on recurring bits like Bedelia.
Maya Rudolph graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a photography degree before joining SNL for seven years. Known for incorporating music into her sketches, Rudolph performed impressions such as singing at “Anthem Idol.”
Andy Samberg attended UC Santa Cruz before transferring to NYU and later joined SNL’s cast for seven years starting in 2005. He gained recognition for musical skits like “Lazy Sunday” alongside Chris Parnell.
Harry Shearer studied political science at UCLA during the 1960s and edited its campus humor magazine before joining SNL as both writer and cast member in 1979. After leaving the show, Shearer co-created “This Is Spinal Tap” but returned to perform an SNL sketch based on those characters.
As Saturday Night Live prepares to launch its 51st season live from New York this weekend, these contributions by University of California alumni remain part of its enduring legacy.
