<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 record of being the longest - tenured cast member in the show 's history , having been a cast member since 2003 . He is also the first person born after SNL 's premiere in 1975 to have joined the cast ( he was born in 1978 ) . Thompson is also the only current cast member who was hired in the 2000s to still be on the show . </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 . In 2006 , he starting anchoring Weekend Update and in 2012 , his tenure on Weekend Update reached its seventh season , making him the longest - serving Weekend Update anchor ( breaking the records held by Dennis Miller and Tina Fey ) . He continued to anchor Update until he left the show in February 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 . </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 , starting in 1977 . 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 , and came back in the finale episode of season 11 in 1986 , and after a few years off , he came back for on - and - off featured status in 1988 and stayed until 1995 . Later elected the junior United States Senator from Minnesota in 2009 , and then he resigned in Jan. 2018 . </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> </Table>
<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 record of being the longest - tenured cast member in the show 's history , having been a cast member since 2003 . He is also the first person born after SNL 's premiere in 1975 to have joined the cast ( he was born in 1978 ) . Thompson is also the only current cast member who was hired in the 2000s to still be on the show . </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 . In 2006 , he starting anchoring Weekend Update and in 2012 , his tenure on Weekend Update reached its seventh season , making him the longest - serving Weekend Update anchor ( breaking the records held by Dennis Miller and Tina Fey ) . He continued to anchor Update until he left the show in February 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 . </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 , starting in 1977 . 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 , and came back in the finale episode of season 11 in 1986 , and after a few years off , he came back for on - and - off featured status in 1988 and stayed until 1995 . Later elected the junior United States Senator from Minnesota in 2009 , and then he resigned in Jan. 2018 . </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> </Table>
who is the longest running snl cast member
who is the longest running snl cast member
Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson