<Table> <Tr> <Th> Performer </Th> <Th> No. of seasons </Th> <Th> Notes </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Kenan Thompson </Td> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> Thompson holds the records of being the longest - tenured cast member in the show 's history , the first cast member born after the show 's premiere in 1975 , and the longest - active African - American cast member . He first joined the show in 2003 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Darrell Hammond </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> Hired after a cast overhaul in 1995 , he is the last cast member hired in the 1990s to leave the show , and the oldest cast member to leave the show ( age 53 when he left the show in 2009 ) . In 2014 , Hammond returned to the show where he replaced Don Pardo as the show 's announcer after Pardo 's death , and often appears in sketches , reprising old roles such as Donald Trump and Bill Clinton . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Seth Meyers </Td> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> He joined the show in 2001 , and in 2013 , his tenure on Weekend Update reached its eighth year , making him the longest - serving Weekend Update anchor ( breaking the records held by Dennis Miller and Tina Fey ) . He left the show in early 2014 to take over hosting duties for Late Night . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Fred Armisen </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> Armisen joined the show in 2002 , and left at the end of season 38 in 2013 . He is the show 's longest - running Hispanic cast member ( beating out the Chilean - born Horatio Sanz ) , as well as the longest - running Asian cast member ( part Korean ) . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Al Franken </Td> <Td> Hired as a writer in the beginning of the series , as the show progressed , he and Tom Davis were allowed to perform material on - air sporadically . He left the show in 1980 , but returned to the show when Lorne Michaels came back in 1985 , regaining his writing and on - air featured status until 1995 . Later elected the junior United States Senator from Minnesota . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Tim Meadows </Td> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> Meadows joined the show in early 1991 . He left the show at the end of the season 25 , which ended in 2000 , after ten seasons on the show . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Kevin Nealon </Td> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> Nealon joined the show as a featured player in 1986 following a major cast overhaul , and was promoted to contract status the following year . He served as Weekend Update anchor for his sixth through eighth seasons , then gave up the position in his ninth . After nine seasons on the show , Nealon left in 1995 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Bobby Moynihan </Td> <Td> He joined the show during season 34 , and departed after season 42 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Maya Rudolph </Td> <Td> She joined the show in early 2000 towards the end of season 25 . She was absent for most of season 31 following the birth of her child . Her last season was the first half of season 33 . She did not return to the show in 2008 after the 2007 -- 2008 Writers Guild of America strike ended . Although , she only stayed 7 of those years , she appeared in 6 more episodes than Amy Poehler , making Rudolph the longest - running female cast member . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Jason Sudeikis </Td> <Td> He joined towards the end of season 30 , after having been a writer for the show in the previous season . He left at the end of season 38 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Will Forte </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> Forte joined the cast in 2002 , and left in 2010 after the release of MacGruber . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Bill Hader </Td> <Td> Hader joined the cast in 2005 left at the end of season 38 in 2013 , alongside Fred Armisen and Jason Sudeikis . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Phil Hartman </Td> <Td> Hartman was brought onto the cast for the show 's twelfth season following a major cast overhaul , and left following the finale of the nineteenth season . He also returned to host the show twice in 1996 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Chris Kattan </Td> <Td> Kattan moved to New York to work on the show as a featured player in 1996 , later becoming a full - time member along with Tracy Morgan
<Table> <Tr> <Th> Performer </Th> <Th> No. of seasons </Th> <Th> Notes </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Kenan Thompson </Td> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> Thompson holds the records of being the longest - tenured cast member in the show 's history , the first cast member born after the show 's premiere in 1975 , and the longest - active African - American cast member . He first joined the show in 2003 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Darrell Hammond </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> Hired after a cast overhaul in 1995 , he is the last cast member hired in the 1990s to leave the show , and the oldest cast member to leave the show ( age 53 when he left the show in 2009 ) . In 2014 , Hammond returned to the show where he replaced Don Pardo as the show 's announcer after Pardo 's death , and often appears in sketches , reprising old roles such as Donald Trump and Bill Clinton . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Seth Meyers </Td> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> He joined the show in 2001 , and in 2013 , his tenure on Weekend Update reached its eighth year , making him the longest - serving Weekend Update anchor ( breaking the records held by Dennis Miller and Tina Fey ) . He left the show in early 2014 to take over hosting duties for Late Night . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Fred Armisen </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> Armisen joined the show in 2002 , and left at the end of season 38 in 2013 . He is the show 's longest - running Hispanic cast member ( beating out the Chilean - born Horatio Sanz ) , as well as the longest - running Asian cast member ( part Korean ) . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Al Franken </Td> <Td> Hired as a writer in the beginning of the series , as the show progressed , he and Tom Davis were allowed to perform material on - air sporadically . He left the show in 1980 , but returned to the show when Lorne Michaels came back in 1985 , regaining his writing and on - air featured status until 1995 . Later elected the junior United States Senator from Minnesota . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Tim Meadows </Td> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> Meadows joined the show in early 1991 . He left the show at the end of the season 25 , which ended in 2000 , after ten seasons on the show . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Kevin Nealon </Td> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> Nealon joined the show as a featured player in 1986 following a major cast overhaul , and was promoted to contract status the following year . He served as Weekend Update anchor for his sixth through eighth seasons , then gave up the position in his ninth . After nine seasons on the show , Nealon left in 1995 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Bobby Moynihan </Td> <Td> He joined the show during season 34 , and departed after season 42 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Maya Rudolph </Td> <Td> She joined the show in early 2000 towards the end of season 25 . She was absent for most of season 31 following the birth of her child . Her last season was the first half of season 33 . She did not return to the show in 2008 after the 2007 -- 2008 Writers Guild of America strike ended . Although , she only stayed 7 of those years , she appeared in 6 more episodes than Amy Poehler , making Rudolph the longest - running female cast member . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Jason Sudeikis </Td> <Td> He joined towards the end of season 30 , after having been a writer for the show in the previous season . He left at the end of season 38 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Will Forte </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> Forte joined the cast in 2002 , and left in 2010 after the release of MacGruber . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Bill Hader </Td> <Td> Hader joined the cast in 2005 left at the end of season 38 in 2013 , alongside Fred Armisen and Jason Sudeikis . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Phil Hartman </Td> <Td> Hartman was brought onto the cast for the show 's twelfth season following a major cast overhaul , and left following the finale of the nineteenth season . He also returned to host the show twice in 1996 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Chris Kattan </Td> <Td> Kattan moved to New York to work on the show as a featured player in 1996 , later becoming a full - time member along with Tracy Morgan
who 's been on saturday night live the longest
who 's been on saturday night live the longest
Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson