Live from New York, Mike Myers became a star on “Saturday Night Live.” As did fellow Canadian comics Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, and the late Phil Hartman and Norm Macdonald.
Canadian ties to “Saturday Night Live” run deep, with Canuck sensibilities woven into its very foundations, principally its Toronto-born creator Lorne Michaels.
As the legendary sketch comedy series marks its 50th anniversary, here's a look at five of the most memorable Canadian stars to appear over the decades, their biggest off-the-wall characters and the success they found after "SNL":
1. Dan Aykroyd (1975-79) — This Ottawa-born comic was a member of the inaugural cast, back when they were cheekily known as the Not Ready For Prime Time Players. Aykroyd's impressions included U.S. presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter, helping pave the way for an "SNL" tradition of skewering the country's highest office, no matter the political stripe. He also helped carve the show's faux news segment, "Weekend Update," in which Jane Curtin served as a cutting foil for a he-said/she-said debate bit that would invariably devolve into Aykroyd spitting out an infamously sexist catchphrase. Then there was his "Bass-o-Matic" TV huckster, Czech brother and self-described "wild and crazy guy" Yortuk Festrunk, and alien patriarch Beldar Conehead. But it was his inspired collaboration with legendary castmate John Belushi as fictional musical siblings the Blues Brothers that would catapult him beyond the show. Their performances spawned an album and movie, as well as live tours, a film sequel and various incarnations since Belushi's death.
Credits beyond "SNL": "Ghostbusters," "Spies Like Us," "Trading Places," "Driving Miss Daisy," "Hotel Paranormal," "Workin' Moms"
2. Martin Short (1984-85) — Thanks to his "SCTV" days, Short was already a star by the time he arrived on "SNL" but the live sketch series gave him a new berth to trot out offbeat characters including manchild Ed Grimley, halfwit Lawrence Orbach, songwriter Irving Cohen and lounge singer Jackie Rogers Jr. Favourites also include smarmy Tobacco Growers of America lawyer Nathan Thurm and a short film with castmate Harry Shearer as brothers vying to become male synchronized swimmers at the '88 Olympics, despite Short's character, Lawrence, not knowing how to swim. Short signed on for just one season but it's easy to think he did more, given the multiple times he returned for cameos and as a guest host. He most recently returned in December when he entered the venerable five-timers club, and he's expected to appear as a guest on "SNL"'s live three-hour 50th anniversary special on Sunday.
Credits beyond "SNL": "Three Amigos!" "Father of the Bride," "Primetime Glick," "Only Murders in the Building"
3. Phil Hartman (1986-1994) — It's said that Hartman, who died in 1998, was nicknamed "Glue" because he could pull any sketch together and make it work. Whether it was Bill Clinton, Frankenstein, Frank Sinatra, Phil Donahue or any of the countless impressions and characters he mastered — let's not forget pre-politics Donald Trump — the versatile funnyman was one of the most consistently reliable players to grace the stage. Quirky favourites include Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, whose winning legal arguments swayed jurors despite the fact he was "just a caveman" with a "primitive mind," who nevertheless drove a BMW and earned a nomination to the U.S. Senate.
Credits beyond "SNL": "Jingle All the Way " "NewsRadio," "The Simpsons"
4. Mike Myers (1989-1995) — Among the many "SNL" graduates to cross over into a successful Hollywood career, Myers is among the biggest. But before he became synonymous with film franchises "Shrek" and "Austin Powers," he endeared himself to "SNL" audiences through an array of bizarre characters including: turtleneck-clad German artist Dieter, Jewish New Yorker Linda Richman and Chicago Bears superfan Pat Arnold. Chief among his alter egos was metalhead cable-access TV star Wayne Campbell, a long-haired slacker who, along with sidekick and best friend Garth Algar played by Dana Carvey, coined catchphrases including "Party on!" and "Schwing!" while playing air guitar, discussing "babes" and worshipping Aerosmith.
Credits beyond "SNL" include: "Wayne's World," "So I Married An Axe Murderer," "Shrek," "Austin Powers," "54," "Inglourious Basterds"
5. Norm Macdonald (1993-98) — Oft-described as your favourite comic's favourite comic, Macdonald earned a dedicated following for a controversial stint in the "Weekend Update" chair that held no punches, especially when it came to O.J. Simpson's murder trial. The former football star was acquitted by the court but relentlessly pilloried by Macdonald, whose dry jabs essentially declared Simpson guilty, week after week. Macdonald, who died in 2021, also dared to examine allegations that swirled around Michael Jackson, back when public opinion still largely revered the pop star. Off the desk, Macdonald's best-loved impression is likely his spin on '70s and '80s movie star Burt Reynolds, also known as Turd Ferguson, who he distils into a cocky caricature of dated machismo.
Credits beyond "SNL": "Billy Madison," "The Norm Show"
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Monday, Feb. 10, 2025
Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press
