Top 10 SNL Cast Member Cameos on Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Appearing on “SNL” for 5 years, Nasim Pedrad has also made a name for herself starring in shows like “New Girl” and the recent series “Chad,” which she also writes. On B99, Pedrad plays Kate Peralta, one of Jake’s half-sisters, whom Jake reaches out to in the hopes of getting to know her. Unfortunately, Kate proves to be something of a scam artist; however, she and Jake still manage to bond during her brief stay, over their shared low opinion of their dad. Andy Samberg and Pedrad had plenty of practice playing siblings on “SNL” and they picked up right where they left off on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

Andy Samberg’s most frequent collaborators are his fellow members of “The Lonely Island.” While Akiva Schaffer also appeared as a detective with a grudge against Jake, our pick goes to Jorma Taccone. Taccone plays Taylor, the manager at the Fun Zone, where both Jake and Captain Holt work while in witness protection. Taylor is not good at his job, nor is he very perceptive. Who in their right mind would think that Holt/Greg would ever be into drugs? Or that Jake/Larry should get the assistant manager position over Holt? No offense, Jake.

Unlike most of the entries on our list, Pete Davidson actually appears in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” prior to when he appeared on “Saturday Night Live.” Davidson appears as Steven, one of a group of kids on the cusp of crime who are sent to listen to Amy Santiago’s presentation on the junior police officer program. It’s a small part, but Davidson does a lot with it. Steven has some memorable lines, from questioning why black people wouldn’t be capable of selling drugs, to being one of the few people who’s able to mock Rosa Diaz and get away with it.

Although Maya Rudolph has frequently appeared on “Saturday Night Live,” even after departing the show as a regular, her time on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” was sadly much briefer. Rudolph plays Marshal Karen Haas, the federal agent in charge of “Greg” and “Larry” when they’re in Florida for witness protection. Haas is hilariously detail-oriented when it comes to the duo’s backstories. Liking “Failure to Launch” has never been more important to anyone! Furthermore, the marshal also turns to Peralta and Holt for advice on having an affair with a younger man, which, while ethically dubious, not to mention unprofessional, does make for great comedy – and Rudolph sells it perfectly.

One half of the famous “Lazy Sunday” video with Andy Samberg on “SNL” (and lots of other great sketches), Chris Parnell has a recurring role on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” as Geoffrey Hoytsman. Hoytsman proves a problem for Peralta, as he initially punishes Sophia, the defense attorney Jake dates, by giving her fewer cases for seeing a cop. However, it soon becomes clear that being a jerk is the least of Hoytsman’s issues. He’s also hopelessly addicted to gambling and several illegal drugs, which forces Jake to have him arrested. Hoytsman then decides to sabotage Jake’s career and then kidnap him, forcing him to confess to his misdeeds. Parnell makes the character both pathetic and hilariously petty.

A long-tenured cast member on “Saturday Night Live,” Vanessa Bayer has a recurring part in season 7 of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Bayer plays Debbie, Holt’s partner after he’s busted down to uniformed officer. Nervous and awkward, Debbie proves to be a great foil for Holt. However, Boyle’s attempts to get her to have more confidence have the unfortunate side effect of leading Debbie to become a dirty cop. Thankfully, she’s still hopelessly inept. Her attempts at a drug deal and a hostage situation are absolute train wrecks. But thanks to Bayer’s performance, we can’t look away.

Whether it’s “SNL” or “Portlandia,” Fred Armisen excels at sketch comedy. His appearances on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” may be brief, but his character is one of a kind. Armisen plays Mlepnos and/or Jerry, a bizarre immigrant man from either a fictional country we’re not even going to try to pronounce or Honolulu. Mlepnos’ appearances are always in important episodes, showing up in both the pilot and the finale, as well as event episodes like the one after the Super Bowl and when Jake and Amy get married. His absurd behavior is always a riot, from insisting his name has a silent “clay” in it, to calling a violin a guitar, to singing a song with Jake about a goat’s virginity.

This veteran “SNL” alum appears in a recurring role as Jake’s cellmate in prison, the affable Caleb. Although Caleb is very personable and easygoing, he... also eats people. While Caleb may not want to define himself by his worst impulses, he is quite the sicko. The contrast between his inherent helpfulness and the darker side of his personality makes for great comedy, and Tim Meadows is not only hilarious, but his chemistry with Andy Samberg is excellent too. If it didn’t mean Jake would be locked behind bars, we could watch more of them together any day.

One of “Saturday Night Live”’s most versatile actors, Bill Hader has a short but memorable role on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Hader plays Seth Dozerman, the first of several replacement captains following Holt’s reassignment. Dozerman is high-strung and obsessed with efficiency, to the point where he has multiple heart attacks after getting worked up over the squad’s antics. The second of these is sadly fatal, but during his brief time on the show, we loved his work ethic. Also, Hader’s performance is brilliantly deadpan, and takes what could be an annoying character and instead makes him hysterical.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Jenny Slate
Hilarious Turn as Bianca, Mob Mistress

Julia Sweeney
Sweeney’s the Bomb as the Desperate Homicidal Pam

Brad Hall
Holt’s Hero Oboist, John William Weichselbraun

Seth Meyers
A Perp Sketch Resembles the Former “Weekend Update” Anchor

It may be little more than a cameo, but Adam Sandler’s appearance on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is one of the most memorable showings by an “SNL” alumnus. After all, he’s playing himself! When Jake poses as an auctioneer, he discovers Sandler in the audience, who heckles him and reveals he’s making a movie about the Russian Revolution. (And just to say, if Kevin James is playing Trotsky, we’re betting Sandler himself and Rob Schneider could play Lenin and Stalin. But we digress!) This cameo is so unexpected, and features such concentrated hilarity, that Sandler had to top our list.