Heidi Gardner & More Stars Who Got Their Start on Saturday Night Live

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As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase that as follows: For years, I found myself burning the midnight oil, thanks in large part to the captivating presence of Kelly Clarkson during my tenure with Saturday Night Live.

Speaking with Kenan Thompson in an interview for WSJ. Magazine in 2017, Gardner shared that he performed a total of 12 roles during his audition. His intention was to ensure his talent was beyond doubt.

In a conversation on The Kelly Clarkson Show last year, she revealed that one of the characters she portrayed was “a passionate Mary Kay executive, applying makeup and delivering a seminar.” She mentioned that one of her songs significantly impacted this character.

Every time I reached a certain spot, I’d establish eye contact with the audience and move around the stage as ‘Heartbeat Song’ played. Essentially, I was saying that song was my own personal heartbeat. Gardner elaborated on this.

In that particular year, the resident of Kansas City continued to be the consistent rhythm for eight seasons on the sketch comedy program.

In her career, she brought to life characters such as Angel, often referred to as the love interest in every boxing movie, and Dianne, who seems to have only read about New York on Facebook. However, one of her most significant achievements occurred in 2023 when she successfully persuaded creator Lorne Michaels to allow Kansas City’s renowned tight end, Travis Kelce, to take the hosting role on a show.

This fall, her coworkers will be playing without her, as she’s stepping away from the ongoing series, as reported by various media outlets. We’ve attempted to contact her representative for clarification but have not received a response yet.

Apart from her, other notable stars like Emil Wakim, Devon Walker, and Michael Longfellow have also declared their upcoming exits.

In a post on August 28th, Longfellow shared that the past three years have been the most remarkable of his life, thus far. He expressed nothing but profound appreciation for the experience and everyone who was part of it.

Since they won’t be working at Studio 8H every Saturday anymore, it’s safe to say their schedules won’t be void; in fact, the show has a reputation for kick-starting several careers.

A list of stars who began their careers on Saturday Night Live would always seem incomplete, given the impressive roster that includes Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, John Mulaney, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon, Pete Davidson, Seth Meyers, and Andy Samberg – just a few examples of its talent pool.

While eagerly anticipating the upcoming Season 51’s cast to fill our television screens with life, let’s reminisce about some comedians who launched their careers at 30 Rock.

Prior to becoming a key figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Robert Downey Jr. graced the stage of Saturday Night Live for just one season, specifically from 1985-1986. This was during the time when creator Lorne Michaels returned to the show after an absence of five years. The period was labeled “The Weird Year” in the Peacock documentary SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, a challenging phase where Lorne was striving to prevent the cancellation of the show.

Robert Downey Jr., reflecting on this time during a 2016 episode of The Howard Stern Show, acknowledged that it wasn’t an instant hit but rather provided “great training.” He even expressed fond memories of this period and stated that the experience of being part of SNL was “probably the most exciting week you can have on Earth.” Later, he returned to host SNL in 1996.

Role: Leading Performer in Sketches

Time on SNL: 2004-2005

If you’re seeking guidance on manifestation, consider reaching out to Rob Riggle. This well-known actor from “Let’s Be Cops” once shared his journey from preparing to be a pilot to pursuing a spot on SNL through visualization and setting his goals.

In a 2024 episode of the Diggin’ Deep Podcast, he reminisced about never having quit anything in his life. He said, “‘If I’m going to quit, it needs to be significant and meaningful.’ The first thing I wrote down was ‘I’m going to appear on Saturday Night Live.’ Ten years later, after two wars, a marriage, and a child, in September 2004, almost to the day, I made my debut on Saturday Night Live. So write down your goals, stick to them, and make them happen.”

This was actually how Rob entered the world of show business. As he explained in a 2023 interview with The A.V. Club, “Saturday Night Live was my first job, and it felt like a dream come true.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it like this:

Ben Stiller had a brief stint on Saturday Night Live back in 1989, lasting just about four episodes. In an episode of The New York Times’ The Interview podcast in 2025, he shared Lorne Michaels’ reaction when he decided to leave the show. “He was like, ‘Alright, Ben’s gonna do what Ben’s gonna do,'” Stiller recounted, mimicking Michaels’ voice. He admitted that he struggled with live performance and found it challenging on SNL, opting instead for short films and eventually his own show, The Ben Stiller Show on MTV. Reflecting on his departure, Stiller confessed, “It had been my dream to be on Saturday Night Live, but looking back now, I’m not quite sure how I mustered the courage, but I followed that instinct.” Despite leaving early, he has returned for hosting roles in 1998 and 2011, as well as making surprise appearances over the years.

The role of Bob Odenkirk includes being a writer, particularly from 1987 to 1995, on Saturday Night Live (SNL). During his tenure, he penned a popular sketch that featured the late Chris Farley playing Matt Foley, a motivational speaker residing in a van by the river. In an interview on The Howard Stern Show in 2021, Odenkirk revealed that he wrote the sketch alone in his Chicago apartment while working with Second City. He added that it was one of the few sketches he’d written where the initial draft was mostly intact and “came out just like that, perfect.” Farley elevated the sketch to even greater heights. Odenkirk won an Emmy for his writing on SNL but admitted in a 2021 episode of Couch Surfing that he regrets being too arrogant during that period. He expressed remorse about not being more gracious, as he acknowledges that he had a valuable opportunity to learn comedy writing and make lifelong friends at the show.

In summary, Bob Odenkirk’s role on SNL includes writing famous sketches like Matt Foley, for which he won an Emmy, but he regrets behaving arrogantly during that time.

Role: Primary performer on SNL
Appearances: Two guest spots, one in 1981 and another in 1988
If you didn’t notice Laurie Metcalf on Saturday Night Live before, it might be because she only had two short stints. In an interview with SNL alum Seth Meyers on Late Night, she mentioned that her initial performance was in 1981 where she did a “man on the street” sketch, and her second performance in 1988 was in “Laurie Has a Story” alongside Catherine O’Hara.
As she reminisced to Vulture in 2019, it feels like a dream since it happened so long ago and she spent just five days in New York. She also admitted that it might have been her first trip to New York ever, and with no connections or prior experience, she was sent out on the street with a small film crew. Despite feeling completely out of her element, she managed to carry out the tasks because there’s actual footage proving it. When she looks back at the footage now, she realizes that she was incredibly naive yet bold about taking on the challenge: “Alright, you want me to do this? Alright, let’s go.

The account of how Larry David, previously employed as a writer for Saturday Night Live from 1984-1985, left the show due to constant sketch cuts and frustration boiled over into an impassioned exit.

During a 2015 episode on The Howard Stern Show, Larry expressed his frustration: “My sketches would perform well at readthroughs only to be repeatedly cut each week. One evening, with just five minutes remaining before the show, another sketch of mine was axed. I had reached my limit.”

Walking over to executive producer Dick Ebersol, Larry vented his anger: “This show is terrible. It’s garbage! I’m quitting! I’m leaving! This is it! I’m done!”

As he braved the cold night air, he realized the financial implications of his rash decision and returned to work the following week. At the weekly writers’ meeting, Larry sat down, prompting his fellow writers to wonder about his outburst. He joked about a circus sketch he was considering for that week, managing to keep his job for another year.

It was during this tenure that Larry crossed paths with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who would later star in Seinfeld, the sitcom he created. Over time, Larry has hosted SNL twice and portrayed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in several guest appearances.

Position: Cast member
Years with SNL: 1982-1985
Although Julia Louis-Dreyfus is widely recognized for her roles in Seinfeld and Veep, some may overlook the fact that she spent three years as a cast member on SNL. Remarkably, she was even hired while still attending college.
However, the actress-whose spouse Brad Hall also graced the stage of SNL-confesses her tenure on Saturday Night Live wasn’t particularly enjoyable.
“I didn’t have a great time,” she admitted to Andy Cohen on an episode of Radio Andy in 2020. “No, but I did learn quite a bit. I was incredibly young-just 21. So I learned a lot very rapidly.”
In her own words, SNL served as a formidable comedy education and shaped the types of roles she pursued subsequently.
“I established my priorities,” she continued. “I realized that the fun I had in improv shows and Second City back in Chicago was missing here. And if this doesn’t exist, or I can’t find it, then I won’t do this.”
Despite her initial reservations, Julia has since revisited SNL multiple times-making history as the first female former cast member to host and taking on that role three separate occasions.

Damon Wayans’ tenure on Saturday Night Live (SNL) was short-lived. In an interview, he revealed that he was dismissed after seven episodes. The reason for his departure stemmed from a disagreement with the show’s producer, Lorne Michaels. According to Wayans, Michaels attempted to shield him from comparisons to Eddie Murphy by restricting his opportunities on SNL, but Wayans wanted more freedom or to be let go entirely.

In an attempt to get fired, during a live taping, Wayans decided to deviate from his character and portray a “super flamboyant” gay cop in a Miami Vice parody sketch called Mr. Monopoly. This move was seen as disruptive, leading Michaels to fire him on the spot.

However, their relationship seemed to improve over time, as Wayans was later invited back to host the show. He mentioned that this opportunity allowed him to launch his successful career with In Living Color, which featured many ideas he had originally wanted to explore on SNL.

Jenny Slate’s tenure on Saturday Night Live wasn’t her best experience.

In 2017, she recalled on Off Camera with Sam Jones, “I joined SNL, and the experience was both very intense-almost unbearably disappointing-and good. Everyone was really nice to me, but I felt incredibly disappointed in myself. It was one of my lifelong dreams. When I got there, I wasn’t suited for the environment; it wasn’t what I expected. I thought, ‘Belushi’, ‘Gilda Radner’, these people are going to be wild and unpredictable. No, this is a television show.”

Ultimately, she was on the show for one season. After being let go, she admitted feeling incredibly humiliated, both by her behavior and the belief that everyone cared about her situation. She clarified, “Nobody cares at all.”

The actress from I Want You Back said she couldn’t get past it and developed stage fright, which led to a brief hiatus from stand-up comedy. However, she decided not to let that experience deter her and shared that she was hypnotized to overcome her stage fright. She concluded, “I don’t want that experience to take this thing away from me-the one thing I do on my own.

As a die-hard fan and former performer on Saturday Night Live (SNL) from 1993-1994, I can honestly say that my time there was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my career.

Reflecting back on it during a January 2025 episode of The Tonight Show with fellow SNL alum Jimmy Fallon, I vividly recalled the camaraderie and the occasional chaos that came with being part of such a legendary show.

“I had an absolute blast,” I said, my voice filled with nostalgia. “Everyone was great, and I was eager to prove myself – I guess you could say I was quite the scrappy kid back then. It was all so surreal; I remember being in awe of how adults behaved. There were even fist fights! But it was a wild ride that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”

And let me tell you about this little prank I used to pull in my office – something that still makes me laugh to this day. You see, I discovered a way to take tampons, dip them in water, and then flick them against the wall so they’d stick like silly putty! They stayed on the wall for at least a decade.

“I revisited SNL 10 or 15 years later,” I added, “and guess what was still hanging in my office? The tampon art!” Needless to say, it brought back some fond memories of my days on Saturday Night Live.

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2025-08-29 21:49