Top 10 SNL Characters That Made it From Auditions to the Show

Heidi Gardner

Its always fascinating to watch a character evolve from a rough concept in an audition to a fully realized personality on stage. In August 2017, Heidi Gardner auditioned with a character known simply as Your Cousin That You Havent Seen in 25 Years. This was one of her well-honed creations from her time at the Groundlings, and as we now know, it helped her land a spot on SNL. Just a few months later, Gardner brought the character to the screen, this time with the name Mandy, or Pretty Mandy, for those in the know. In the December 2017 episode hosted by James Franco, Mandy made her debut, subtly belittling her cousins Hollywood success, while touting her own incredible achievements like hitting a bullseye.

Bowen Yang

In his relatively short time on SNL, Bowen Yang has established himself as one of the shows most distinctive talents, known for turning the ordinary into the absurd. One of his most surreal inventions remains the man from the choking hazard posters displayed in restaurants all over the world, a character that first appeared during his audition. After joining the cast in 2019, Yang fleshed him out with even more quirks, giving him a cult following among restaurant staff and pairing him with a female counterpart, played by host Scarlett Johansson. His audition also included a hyper-intense SoulCycle instructor, another gem that made its way to the show after he was hired.

Cheri Oteri

Cheri Oteris audition for SNL was as strong as it gets. The Pennsylvania-born comedian arrived fully prepared, with three well-developed characters she had already written detailed and hilarious jokes for. So its no surprise that one of them, Althea McMahonaman, eventually became a recurring favorite. Althea is a hyperactive child with a knack for annoying pilots and bus drivers, and occasionally blurting out inappropriate comments. The character first appeared on the show during Oteris first season, in a sketch with Chevy Chase, who played a pilot gradually losing his cool. If you need proof of just how airtight Oteris audition was, look no further than this sketch, as much of it was lifted almost word-for-word from the routine.

Chris Kattan

Before joining SNL, Chris Kattan honed his sketch comedy skills in several improv troupes, including the Groundlings. It was there that he created Mr. Peepers, a manic half-human, half-monkey creature who is typically unveiled by a scientist before proceeding to demolish apples at lightning speed. The character first saw the walls of the SNL stage before Kattan even landed the job. For his audition, the actor showed up in full costume, down to the prosthetic ears, and was already spitting out apple chunks like a machine gun. By the time he officially joined the cast, the character was practically a ready-made hit. Over Kattans seven-year tenure, Mr. Peepers became one of his signature characters, popping up about a dozen times.

Andy Samberg

In the SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night documentary special, former cast member Bill Hader recalled arriving for his audition and meeting another comedian there with a bag full of props. That comedian was Andy Samberg, and one of those props was a white mop-like wig he later used during his audition. Inspired by someone Samberg encountered while growing up in Berkeley, California, the character was a white man with dreads who appropriated Rastafari culture. After Samberg was hired and began managing the Digital Shorts arm, he refined the character, naming him Ras Trent and making him the star of a Lonely Island song. The short, which satirizes Trents misguided attempts to embrace Rastafarianism, aired during the shows 34th season.

Kate McKinnon

Kate McKinnon joined SNL near the end of season 37 and immediately made it clear that she was a force to be reckoned with. In her very first episode, she played a version of Penélope Cruz alongside host Sofia Vergara in a Pantene commercial parody. While Vergara effortlessly breezed through her list of simple words, McKinnon was stuck struggling to pronounce tongue-twisting chemical compounds. But this was not McKinnons first rodeo with this character. She had performed it multiple times before, including during her SNL audition just one month earlier. Although the producers are known to remain stone-faced during auditions, McKinnons performance was so funny that you could clearly hear laughter in the background.

Fred Armisen

Theres no shortage of bizarre characters in Fred Armisens SNL repertoire, but Fericito was one of the first to truly cement his place on the show. A Venezuelan nightclub comedian, Fericito was inspired by Armisens experience watching Puerto Rican musician Tito Puente perform live. The character accounted for nearly all of Armisens audition, and it left SNL producers in stitches. Not only did they realize they had to hire Armisen, they knew Fericito would be a hit. As a result, during Armisens first episode, he debuted the character on Weekend Update, reusing the same routine that had won over the producers. Fericito quickly became a fan favorite and was expanded from a Weekend Update guest to headlining his own recurring sketch ¡Show Biz Grande Explosion!.

Ana Gasteyer

The NPR radio show parody Delicious Dish starred Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon as co-hosts Margaret Jo McCullen and Teri Rialto, exploring mundane and painfully dull culinary topics. While it might seem like the sketch was designed for both characters from the start, it actually began as Gasteyers brainchild. She first introduced the concept during her audition, already having the character name and radio show format mapped out. Margaret Jo McCullen made her debut on the first edition of Delicious Dish in season 22, the same season Gasteyer joined the cast. The character went on to become a staple on the show, appearing over a dozen times, most notably in the episodes hosted by Alec Baldwin and Betty White.

Kristen Wiig

Auditioning for a show as legendary as Saturday Night Live must be a nerve-wracking process for any comedian. But watching Kristen Wiig do it, you could tell she was right at home. Wiig came prepared with a lineup of fully-fleshed characters, including the now-iconic Target Lady. This overbearing and overly enthusiastic employee with a penchant for irritating everyone in her line of sight had already been part of Wiigs repertoire since her days at the Groundlings. The character impressed the shows producers enough that they added Wiig to season 31 even after it had already premiered. According to one producer, many of Wiigs audition pieces also made it onto the show, including Aunt Linda, the perpetually unimpressed film critic (xref).

Will Ferrell

In his very first sketch on Saturday Night Live, Will Ferrell played Frank Henderson, a dad at a neighborhood barbecue who periodically breaks from his calm demeanor to yell at his sons. The sketch was an instant hit with the audience, and it was a clear sign that Ferrell was destined for greatness on the show. But before Henderson won over the audience, he already impressed the producers who saw a version of the character during Ferrells audition. While the live sketch was enhanced by the shocked reactions of Hendersons neighbors, Ferrell made it just as compelling during his audition, despite being alone on an empty stage. There was no way SNL was letting that guy walk out the door.


What other SNL characters do you think were born before the cast members even joined the show? Let us know in the comments below.