<P> The Doumanian - era cast faced immediate comparison to the beloved former cast and were not received favorably . Ebersol fired the majority of her hires, except for two unknown comedians: Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo . Talent coordinator Neil Levy claimed Murphy contacted and pleaded with him for a role on the show, and after seeing him audition, Levy fought with Doumanian to cast him instead of Robert Townsend . Doumanian wanted only one black cast member and favored Townsend, but Levy convinced her to choose Murphy . Doumanian also claimed credit for discovering Murphy and fighting with NBC executives to bring him onto the show . Even so, Murphy would languish as a background character until Ebersol took charge, after which Murphy was credited with much of that era's success . Murphy's star exploded, and he quickly appeared in films such as 48 Hrs. and Trading Places, before leaving for his film career in early 1984 . Much of the Ebersol cast departed after the 1983--84 season and were replaced with established comedians who could supply their own material, but at an inflated cost; Billy Crystal and Martin Short were paid $25,000 and $20,000 per episode respectively, a far cry from earlier salaries . Michaels' return in 1985 saw a cast reset that featured established talent such as Robert Downey Jr., Jon Lovitz and Dennis Miller . The season was poorly received, and another reset followed in 1986 . Learning his lesson from the previous season, Michaels avoided known talent in favor of actual ability . He kept Lovitz, Miller and Nora Dunn, and brought in new, untested talent such as Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, and Jan Hooks, who together would define a new era on the show into the early 1990s . </P> <P> In 1989--90, new talent such as Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and Chris Farley were added . Afraid of cast members leaving for film careers, Michaels had overcrowded the cast, causing a divide between the veteran members and the new, younger talent, increasing competition for limited screen time . By 1995, Carvey and Hartman had left, taking with them a virtual army of characters, Myers quit for his movie career, and increasing network pressure forced Michaels to fire Sandler and Farley . The show saw its next major overhaul, bringing in a new cast including Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Jimmy Fallon . While cast members would leave over the following two decades, the show saw its next biggest transition in 2013, with the addition of 6 cast members to compensate for the departure of several longtime cast members like Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis, and Fred Armisen . </P> <P> SNL has featured over 140 cast members including, besides the above - mentioned players, Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Will Forte, Julia Louis - Dreyfus, Tracy Morgan, Chris Parnell, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, Kristen Wiig, and many others . Darrell Hammond was the longest - serving cast member until 2017, having been a part of the cast for fourteen years between 1995 and 2009, and returned in 2014 as the show's announcer following the death of Don Pardo . In 2017 Kenan Thompson surpassed Hammond as the longest - serving cast member . Thompson first joined the series in 2003 . Those selected to join the cast of SNL are normally already accomplished performers, recruited from improvisational comedy groups such as The Groundlings (Ferrell, Hartman, Lovitz, Wiig) and The Second City (Aykroyd, Farley, Fey, Tim Meadows), or established stand - up comedians (Carvey, Sandler, Rock, Norm Macdonald), who already possess the training or experience necessary for SNL . </P> <P> Of the many roles available in the show, one of the longest - running and most coveted is being the host of Weekend Update, a segment which has alternated between having one or two hosts, and which allows the cast members involved to perform as themselves and be on camera for an extended period of time . Many of the Weekend Update hosts have gone on to find greater success outside the show, including: Chase, Curtin, Murray, Miller, Macdonald, Fey, Fallon, and Poehler . From 2008, Seth Meyers was the solo host of Weekend Update, before being partnered with Cecily Strong in 2013 . After Meyers left for Late Night with Seth Meyers in February 2014, Strong was paired with head writer Colin Jost . However, later that year, she was replaced by writer Michael Che . The cast is divided into two tiers: the more established group of repertory players; and newer, unproven cast members known as featured players, who may eventually be promoted to the repertory stable . </P>

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