SNL's Best 10 Black Cast Members Ever, Ranked

Only a handful, comparatively speaking, of permanent cast members on SNL have been black. Here are the best ones.

SNL brought into our living rooms the likes of John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, and Tina Fey.

Only a handful, comparatively speaking, of permanent cast members have been black. They have been the "who’s who" of some of the comedy greats. But who was the best? Unfortunately, everyone cannot be included on this list that evaluates them not only for the impact of their sketches but on how their careers influenced the entertainment industry after they left the show.

10 Damon Wayans

Better known for his role on In Living Color, people often forget that My Wife and Kids star Damon Wayans was a cast member on SNL from 1985-1986. Arriving on the set shortly after Eddie Murphy’s departure, the shoes he had to fill were far too great.

His greatest (or not so greatest moment) on SNL was when Wayans, angered by creative differences with the show's executives, went off-script for the sketch, “Mr. Monopoly” playing a straight cop as an effeminate gay man. This would be his last appearance.

For over 10 years, he shocked and entertained television audiences on In Living Color with his iconic characters like Homey D. Clown and Blaine Edwards (“Men on Film”) providing some of the best comedy television on prime time.

9 Garrett Morris

Garrett Morris was part of the original cast in 1975 along with John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman, Jane Curtin, Chevy Chase, and Gilda Radner. He remained on the show until 1980 and his best-known character was the Dominican baseball player for The New York Mets, Chico Escuela. Escuela could barely speak English and the sketch centered on his catchphrase, “Baseball…been berra berra good… to me”. Also, his “News for the Hard of Hearing” was a show favorite where instead of signing he would yell, over news reports.

After leaving the show in 1980, Morris played a lot of bit characters on television and in the movies. But two of his most unforgettable roles were Stan on Martin and Uncle Junior on The Jamie Foxx Show.

8 Jay Pharoah

Known for his impersonations of Barack Obama, Eddie Murphy, Denzel Washington, and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Jay Pharoah was known as the “breakout cast member” when he debuted in 2010. Pharoah could impersonate them all making him a favorite of fans for seven years. His famous sketch that embraced all his impressions and showcased his talent was “Rappers Meeting” on the Weekend Update where Jay-Z seeks relationship advice from 50 Cents, TI, DMX, Lil Wayne, Will Smith, Nikki Minaj, and Drake.

After leaving the show in 2016, he continued to amazed audiences on the Late Night Talk Show circuit and he also had small parts in Sing and Ride Along.

7 Leslie Jones

Making a concentrated attempt to hire at least one black female cast member, SNL hired Leslie Jones as a writer, but her controversial Weekend Update segment in 2014 about dating problems put the camera lens directly on her. Jones made the best of it being promoted to a permanent cast member in May of that year making her the oldest person to become a permanent cast member at the age of 47.

Jones's most memorable sketch was “Celebrity: Naked and Afraid,” where she was left in the woods naked with Games of Thrones star Peter Dinklage and upon her arrival, she shouted, “The cool breeze feels good on my ass.”

In 2017 and 2018 she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress.

6 Michael Che

For more than six years, co-head writer Michael Che has been the backbone of SNL’s weekend update. His comedy chemistry with Colin Jost is undeniable. He is the first African American co-anchor on the Weekend Update.

One of Che’s controversial sketches was when he went undercover as a liberal white woman but did not bother to change his appearance. Wearing a white wig and scarves he attempted to figure out what it was like to be a privileged white woman.

Although his career has not spanned into movie mainstream, he has appeared on Top Five with cast alumnus Chris Rock and was a guest commentator on Wrestlemania 35.

5 Tracy Morgan

First appearing on Martin in 1994 as Hussle Man, Tracy Morgan displayed a unique brand of unapologetic raw comedy. Viewers did not know what to make of him. But from 1996 to 2003, on Saturday Night Live, Tracy Morgan confused but amused audiences with sketches like Astronaut Jones and an outrageous Maya Angelou. But his classic “Brian Fellow’s Safari Planet” left audiences in shambles.

In 2006, Morgan co-starred on 30 Rock alongside Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. He also starred in Cop Out, Little Man, and The Longest Yard. An instant rating grabber, Morgan is one of entertainment’s most beloved comedians.

4 Chris Rock

A protege of Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock starred along the side of SNL greats, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, David Spade, and Rob Schneider (the bad boys of SNL) from 1990 – 1993. But yet in this diverse crowd of talent, Rock found a way for the spotlight to shine the brightest on him. Some of his best-known characters and sketches are Nat X, “White Comic’s Guide to Surviving a Night at the Apollo,” and a weekend update Martin Luther King Day sketch about the absurdities of racism.

In 1996 with his release of Bring the Pain, Chris Rock became an instant comedy legend. Along with the critically acclaimed television show, Everybody Hates Chris and the movies Madagascar, Lethal Weapon 4, and Beverly Hill’s Ninja, Rock is one of the most sought-after comedians in the entertainment industry.

3 Maya Rudolph

The daughter of famed singer Minnie Riperton, Maya Rudolph has been a chameleon of sketches able to fit in any role at any time with the same results – outrageous and infectious laughter. Whether she is Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Scott Joplin, or even the out of work Aunt Jemima, she has brought numerous tears of laughter to tons of late-night audiences. She has helped create some of the most memorable sketches on SNL from 2000-2007.

After she left, her popularity has only grown stronger, starring in such comedy classics as Bridesmaids and Grown Ups 2.

2 Kenan Thompson

With over 17 years on the show, Kenan Thompson is SNL’s longest-tenured cast member. Before SNL, he starred in Nickelodeon’s top-rated show, Kenan and Kel.

Cherished for sketches like, “Black Jeopardy,” “Scared Straight Inmate,” and his hilarious “What Up With That?” bearing a Jheri curl hairstyle and three-piece suite, Thompson is the backbone of Saturday Night Live.

He appears in most of the sketches throughout the landmark late-night early morning comedy sketch program. Although he has a mildly successful movie career and appeared on other television programs, his greatest success and the reason for his entertainment notoriety has been because of his exemplary career on SNL.

1 Eddie Murphy

Maybe once in every other generation, we are fortunate to witness comedic genius and in 1980 after SNL's sixth season, a young 19-year-old from Brooklyn, NY joined the all-new cast with Gilbert Gottfried, Gail Matthius, Joe Piscopo, Ann Risely, Charles Rocket, and Denny Dillion.

Eddie Murphy single handily breathed life back into the ratings fleeting Saturday night sketch comedy show. His well know characters and sketches were Mister Robinson in “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood,” Gumby, Velvet Jones, Buckwheat, and the classic sketch, “James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub Party.”

But the stage in New York was too small for this meg star. In 1984, Murphy left the show and became a movie star of epic proportions. Whether it was his stand-up comedy movies, Delirious and Raw. Or his box office smash hits like Beverly Hills Cop, 48 Hours, Harlem Nights, and Coming to America, Murphy has been a main attraction at the box office for over 35 years. This not only puts him as the best black cast member on SNL but arguably the best cast member of all time.