I wonder if it's a tough internal discussion for many, to be on the show so long, have steady work, and be so close to season 50, yet the pull to branch out, try new things, do your best to springboard from a high-profile potential launchpad.

When Beck Bennett first started I thought he'd be generic but he's a workhorse, gets things done, supports the ensemble. They're very different comedians, but there's a touch of Phil Hartman in that approach. Hope he finds good work, I don't know that his movie resume has been very long so far. He's funny, I hope he lands well.

Beck Bennett On Leaving Saturday Night Live And His 5 Favorite Sketches
https://time.com/6103137/beck-bennett-snl-goodbye/

Shoot, Kenan had his show renewed and he'll still be on SNL for the rest of time (I realize Lorne heads that show).

That’s nice. Good for him. I’m sure he’ll do well.
i’ve been a fan since the old AT&T commercials he did with little kids.

Chloe Fineman was on Fallon last night.

That's the problem, everyone plays it too safe these days. The days of Norm Macdonald relentlessly skewering NBC exec Dick Ebersol's good pal OJ (and getting fired for it) are long gone.

Well, let’s be honest, this will be the biggest job most SNL cast members willl ever have.

Many of the them get a chance for their own show or movies, but not a lot of them can carry those bigger projects.

So, yeah, I would be careful about pissing off the wrong people too. If that was me.

I loved Norm on SNL, but he didn’t exactly have some huge career. God rest his soul.

True, but that's what I loved about Norm, he honestly didn't give a shit. That's rare in Hollywood.

Is that before or after he developed the Knucklepuck?

Yeah, most of them just fade away to obscurity like Joe Piscopo or Dana Carvey or David Spade.

Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy had good runs for a while, but they eventually flamed out.

Kind of weird to think that the biggest star Saturday Night Live ever produced was Robert Downey, Jr. Julia Louis-Dreyfus might be a close second with Seinfeld under her belt.

Interestingly, both RDJ and JLD made little impact on SNL during their brief runs, and both later lucked into star-making roles.

I'd say John Belushi, Dan Akyroyd Bill Murry, Ben Stiller all had decent careers in the movies in addition to Murphy and Myers. Not an Adam Sandler fan but he is up there, not to mention Tina Fey who has done very well.

I am curious what JLD will be career-wise when the Marvel roles start coming to the big screen, loved her in Veep and Xmas vacation.

I think Spade managed to do OK for himself, with a supporting role in two long running TV shows (Just Shoot Me and Rules of Engagement). He was never leading man material. But it's still more regular exposure to audiences than what Piscopo or Carvey did post-SNL.

If you ever want a laugh though, try to find the episode of Facts of Life he did, pre-SNL. It was an attempt at a spin-off, where Natalie goes to NYC and rents a room in a loft apartment with several unique characters. Spade was a med student, and the role was actually semi-serious and less comedic. I believe in the episode he was agonized over losing his first patient and acting out in anger.

I was going to say that Ben Stiller wasn't a cast member but checking the SNL wiki, he was a cast member for less than a month in Spring 1989 and quit after four episodes. I still don't think you can count him as one.

After careful study, I am going to say Colin Jost is the most successful SNL cast member of all time.

Financially, at least, you have to put Brad Hall in that category as well.

Dooku can speak for himself, but I got a crazy suspicion he ain't talking about money there.

Maybe one reason Lorne has a huge cast now maybe to keep the veterans on the show and give them breaks to do other projects and maybe less are leaving the show these days.

Well, the money is definitely what bumps Jost ahead of Dan Ackroyd on the list.

Aykroyd married Donna Dixon. IMO, way hotter than Johansson.

Though I suppose Scarlett is more of a sugar momma.

Is there going to be a weekly SNL thread or is this going to be it?

Oh yeah, it is back tonight. I’m on it.

I would have declared Sudeikis the winner, but apparently he and Wilde are no longer together.

I kind of understand, but the whole point of satire is to hold up the powers that be to ridicule. Seems like SNL has moved away from that for the most part (unless it's someone who it's popular to kick while they're down) in favor of paint by the numbers jokes that went out of style many years ago.

You guys should love this if it turns out to be true.

Donna DIxon in her prime was hotter than Wylde