SNL actresses Tina Fey and Amy Poehler star in Baby Mama.
When you think of former “Saturday Night Live” cast members who have rocketed to super movie stardom, the names Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell and Mike Myers come to mind. Surprisingly, not a lot of the funny women who have departed the NBC hit show have gone on to huge movie careers and in fact most faded into oblivion. Until now…?
Former “SNL” writer/star Tina Fey’s new movie Baby Mama, hitting theaters this week, could just be the project needed to put both her and her Baby Mama co-star/current “SNL” cast member Amy Poehler on the same movie career trajectory Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd took years before. And who knows where it could lead… just hopefully not to roles like Norbit!
In honor of the birth of Baby Mama, here are our Top 10 favorite movies from former “SNL” cast members.
#10 Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery – Mike Myers
This hilarious spoof of the James Bond/British Spy movie genre of the ‘60s is complete with the ultra-suave male agent and over-the-top sexual innuendo. However, unlike Roger Moore and Sean Connery’s Bond, Austin Powers is… the word “unattractive” is about the nicest word that comes to mind, but that doesn’t stop the ladies from falling over themselves to get to him. Not only did this film confirm that Mike Myers is a comedy genius, but it spawned endless catchphrases (who hasn’t said, “Do I make you horny?”) and revived the stalled career of Rob Lowe, who had a memorable cameo before being decapitated by Dr. Evil. Oh, behave!
#9 Tommy Boy – Chris Farley and David Spade
Ah, the buddy comedy. So many people have tried to pull this off, but few succeeded as well as David Spade and the “fat guy in a little coat” Chris Farley. It’s without a doubt one of the funniest movies ever to come from “SNL” cast members. What it lacked in story and plot it made up for in Spade and Farley’s performance and chemistry, which is why it’s such a comic gem. Spade tossed off snide one-liners and Farley did what Farley did best, playing the well-meaning, incompetent dimwit who crashes into furniture after chugging beers. Good times.
#8 Happy Gilmore – Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler has had a ton of blockbuster movie hits from The Wedding Singer to 50 First Dates, but it was Happy Gilmore that first put him on the map as a real “SNL” comedy contender. Why? Because Sandler’s at his best when he’s furiously violent and screaming at anything from a misbehaving golf ball to giving game show host Bob Barker a serious beat-down. Only complaint: not nearly enough of short-lived “SNL” cast member Ben Stiller as a cold-hearted retirement home orderly.
#7 Ghostbusters – Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd
Not only did this paranormal summer blockbuster hit launch “SNL”-ers Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd into a different career stratosphere, it also spawned the most popular line to come out of the 1980s: “Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters! ” The most successful comedy of the 1980s, it’s a requisite entry on any “SNL” top list.
#6 Old School – Will Ferrell
Hey everybody, let’s go streaking! Who can ever forget the site of Will Ferrell’s naked butt as he runs through the streets after an all-night bender? Ferrell’s sweet portrayal of loveable, down-on-his-luck frat boy Frank the Tank is painfully funny. Sure, lots of laughs come from Vince Vaughn’s family man, “ear muffs” bits, but Ferrell steals every scene he’s in, even ones where he’s only half conscious: “I see Blue, he looks glorious!”
#5 The Blues Brothers – John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd
Amazing car chase sequences, great one-liners, outstanding cameos from Aretha Franklin to Steven Spielberg… this movie had it all and then some. And even with all that action in the film, the comedic (and musical) talent of Belushi and Aykroyd still outshone everyone as they played the eccentric Blues Brothers on a mission from God to save the orphanage where they were raised. Just thinking about them makes us want to eat some dry white toast.
#4 Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy – Will Ferrell
Narcissistic? Check. Misogynistic? Check. Hilarious? We’re three for three! How can you not love Will Ferrell’s portrayal of San Diego’s five-time Emmy Award-winning local anchorman Ron Burgundy, who has a fondness for scotch and pretty ladies? Probably the most surprising aspect of this film is that Will is a completely believable romantic leading man. Who knew? Apparently Ron Burgundy--because as he’ll tell you, he’s “a pretty big deal.”
#3 Beverly Hills Cop – Eddie Murphy
No “SNL” movie list would be complete without at least one Eddie Murphy comedy. There are so many to choose from, but most fans would say Beverly Hills Cop was the one that shot him to international stardom. Murphy as Axel Foley was a riot whether he was pretending to be a Rolling Stone reporter who won’t put up with racism, or Ramon, a guy who just tested positively for herpes simplex 10, or when he simply asks, “is this the man who put a banana in your tailpipe?” Without Murphy this movie wouldn’t have been nearly as successful. His laugh alone is probably why it was nominated for an Oscar.
#2 Animal House – John Belushi
If it weren’t for John Belushi in Animal House, raunchy and tasteless comedies like American Pie and Superbad might never have gotten the green light. Not only is it a founding father of the gross-out genre that’s so popular today, it’s also credited for making juvenile frat-boy behavior like belching, imitating a zit, or crushing cans of beer on one's forehead charming and perhaps even socially acceptable. Well, maybe not that acceptable, but you can’t deny Belushi’s portrayal of degenerate, seventh-year student Bluto made him the first “SNL” breakout movie star and started a trend we (and Judd Apatow) are thankful for!
#1 Fletch – Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase is one of the original “SNL” cast members, but he’ll probably be best remembered for his portrayal of investigative journalist Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher in the cult classic Fletch. His multitude of silly personas (“John Cock..tos..ton,” “Mr. Poon,” “Dr. Rosenpenis”) and ridiculous disguises, from a beach junkie to a buck-toothed mechanic named Gordon Liddy, are comedy gold, but his tossed-off one-liners are what makes this movie so memorable. Any single gal would agree: No man can get through a first date without quoting this movie at least once. “I feel like a hundred bucks.” “No thanks, I’m trying to quit.” “Does this proposition entail my dressing up as Little Bo Peep?” This is Chevy Chase at his best.
Send feedback on this column to
editorial@fandango.com.