Top 10 Successful SNL Alumni

We know what you’re thinking: it must be the hair and his command of his unique brand of comedy. But you’re wrong: it’s just the hair. All joking aside, Andy Samberg has put together quite the post-SNL career by starring in FOX’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” for which he took home a shiny piece of hardware known as a Golden Globe Award. Sure, trophies aren’t everything, but they do help your career, and given Samberg’s thrilling performance in HBO’s “7 Days in Hell,” it appears that he’s ready to take over “Like a Boss.”

Millennials know him as the guy from the 2014 Melissa McCarthy comedy “Tammy,” but some of you older Mojoholics know him as one of the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players.” Dan Aykroyd was a Blues Brother and Eddie Murphy’s brother from another mother; he was a Ghostbuster and played one annoying mother (bleep-er) in “The Great Outdoors.” As a writer and as an actor, Dan Aykroyd has kept us laughin’ for decades.

From 2004 to 2008, she rightfully earned her spot as one of SNL’s most hilarious Weekend Update co-anchors, and now she’s got network comedy on lockdown. We said “Lock…DOWN.” Parks and Rec. Broad City. Any time Amy Poehler signs on the dotted line, it’s the equivalent of comedy gold. She’s like a magical golden ticket for TV executives and we’re all winners every time she appears on TV. But not only does Poehler light up the screen, she’s also an executive herself, which means that she can make you a star or send you packin’. Maybe both. Regardless, she’ll make you laugh in the process.

It’s been said that “all things must pass,” and for the love of God, let’s all be thankful that this former SNL star managed to salvage his career after 1993’s “CB4.” Chris Rock has starred in dozens of movies in the 2000s, and we wouldn’t be surprised if his stand-up specials sent people to the hospital for excessive laughter. In other words, this guy kills it, and in 2015, Rock not only wrote and directed the film “Top Five,” but also earned a Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy. He’s an inspiration for many, but unfortunately few will ever be able to match the career accomplishments of Mr. Rock.

Wayne’s World. Austin Powers. SHREK. Mike Myers was born a Canadian, but he’s actually made of American dollar bills. Even if you never saw one second of his legendary run on “Saturday Night Live,” you undoubtedly know him from one of the many strange characters he’s played on the big screen. And that’s the brilliance of Mike Myers. He’s simply a magnificent bastard, and he even played one in the 2009 Quentin Tarantino classic “Inglourious Basterds.” Show us one unsuccessful Mike Myers films, Mojoholics, and we’ll show you a monkey flying out of your butt. Actually, let’s not do that... since, you know… “The Love Guru”…

Here’s a man known for his intellectually stimulating movie characters. Ok, not really, but Adam Sandler IS known for making people filthy rich, including himself. With a remarkable ability to combine drama with toilet humor, Sandler has become one of the more bankable movie stars of the past couple of decades, and his production company “Happy Madison” is responsible for box office hits like “Mr. Deeds, “Anger Management” and “Grown Ups.” Of course, it’s also responsible for a few turds, but hey, that’s Hollywood. You gotta take risks, and Sandler’s not afraid to roll the dice.