Top 10 Best Saturday Night Live Hosts Who Never Returned

One thing you might notice about the hosts who appear on this list is that they’re usually reaching outside of their comfort zone and diving into the frightening waters of sketch comedy. That was no less true than when Oscar nominee Brown hosted, having been best-known to the public for his dramatic role in the tear-jerking NBC series “This Is Us.” If you’d only seen his “SNL” gig, you might think that multiple Emmy winner Brown was a career comedian! In particular, look to a sketch in which a young woman’s attempt to introduce her parents to her new boyfriend (played by Brown)... that’s quickly derailed by Brown’s character’s love of Shrek.

The 2018 episode that Schreiber hosted unfortunately found its host upstaged by a left-field controversy that had ensued the previous week. Cast member Pete Davidson poked fun at Republican congressman Dan Crenshaw, and in the wake of negative backlash, Crenshaw appeared on Schreiber’s episode to give it back to Davidson. And that’s a shame, because Schreiber’s pivot from hard-edged drama to sketch comedy was admirable in its execution. The Tony winner’s stern, paternal energy proved to be a perfect match for “SNL’s” silliness, sending up his own public image to great effect. Maybe it’s a sign that some TV anti-heroes just need to lighten up!

Leave it to Natasha Lyonne to mine what was arguably the darkest period of her life for one of the funniest, most successful “SNL” monologues in recent memory. Flanked by Maya Rudolph and ex-romantic partner Fred Armisen, Lyonne hilariously made light of her tumultuous, well-publicized personal life. The rest of the show wasn’t half-bad, either, with Lyonne’s typically raunchy, irreverent persona at the forefront of the sketches she appeared in. Given her standing relationship with the show and various members of its cast and crew, it’s not unfathomable that Lyonne could grace Studio 8H again in the near future.

The Colombian “Modern Family” star was already well-known for her star-making, outsized performance on the long-running ABC sitcom. Although she hasn’t hosted “SNL” since this April 2012 guest spot, NBC audiences are certainly ready for more Vergara — that is, if this episode is anything to go off of. The five-time Emmy nominee looked right at home on the “SNL” stage, with her masterful monologue demonstrating Vergara’s inherently powerful grip on the art of comedy in English and Spanish. Fingers crossed that the right gig comes around so that Vergara can once again host the venerated sketch show.

We just need to know: is there a valid reason that we haven’t seen a sequel to Dinklage’s legendary “Space Pants” sketch yet? If not, we’d respectfully request that Lorne Michaels and co. find a way to make it happen. You may be surprised to learn that the “Game of Thrones” star and multiple Emmy winner has the comedic chops, given his fearsome portrayal of Tyrion Lannister. Believe it or not, Dinklage was mostly known for starring in comedies prior to appearing on the HBO mega-hit show. A veteran performer with considerable range, Dinklage threw himself into the sketch comedy show without abandon, proving himself to have the makings of a repeat host.

Asked back to host the 41st “SNL” season finale in 2016, Armisen got a chance to own the spotlight. Having often been relegated to supporting roles during his tenure as an “SNL” cast member, it’s easy to forget that the former punk rock drummer was probably one of the most capable and versatile players that the show had ever seen. Armisen’s hosting appearance was a testament to this — just watch his gut-bustingly ridiculous monologue, a parody of poorly-executed off-off-off-Broadway one-man shows. With all of this in mind, we’re surprised that Armisen, who’s since made cameos on “SNL” here and there, hasn’t found the time to host again.

Admittedly, Pascal’s hosting gig occurred fairly recently, and it seems overwhelmingly likely that the Chilean breakout star will be asked back to host in the near future. It feels inevitable, given Pascal’s episode’s viral explosion that capitalized on the actor’s “Internet sweetheart” status. To his credit, Pascal met the hype and then some, proving himself to be not only willing and able, but a good sport who was game for anything. That “anything” included an exasperated teacher who begs his students to stop making fan-cams of him, and most virally of all, the overprotective mother of Marcello Hernández’s Luis, who blatantly disapproves of her son’s new girlfriend.

The “Family Guy” and “American Dad!” creator is clearly no stranger to empires of American comedy. MacFarlane’s many talents were vibrantly on display during his September 2012 hosting appearance, which saw him not only reprise his “Family Guy” voice roles, but embody a cavalcade of new characters. This is in addition to MacFarlane’s singing abilities, mostly unknown to the general public before he hosted “SNL.” Look out specifically for MacFarlane’s impression of Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte — while it may no longer be the timeliest reference, you don’t have to know anything about the athlete or the sport itself to crack up at MacFarlane’s sweetly dopey impression.

Multi-hyphenate Glover may never have hosted “SNL” before (or since), but his ties to NBC run deeper than you might expect. That is to say, before blowing up as a cast member of the network’s beloved “Community,” Glover had been hired by Tina Fey as both an actor and writer for “30 Rock.” With this in mind, it probably goes without saying that Glover’s keen knack for absurdist humor and swaggering stage presence made for a deeply entertaining “SNL” episode, convincing viewers that, if he hadn’t hit it so big with his own music, comedy, and acting, he’d likely have fit right in on the “SNL” main stage.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Quinta Brunson


John C. Reilly


Emma Thompson


Patrick Stewart


Kerry Washington

Former “SNL” cast members burying the hatchet can make for an all-time great “SNL” episode. Sandler has claimed that he and Chris Farley were fired simultaneously in 1995, and while he had regularly collaborated with his castmates, he’d had nothing to do with the show since his firing. Sandler seems to have had a change of heart in 2019, hosting the show for the first time alongside musical guest Shawn Mendes. To the surprise of precisely no one, the Sandman owned Studio 8H, debuting a song about his unceremonious firing and playing good sport in a sketch that lovingly poked fun at his trademark mannerisms. Here’s hoping he hosts again soon!

Who’s your favorite one-off “SNL” host? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!