The only main cast still alive from the first episode of Saturday Night Live

This article discusses addiction.

The year 2024 was Really a great year for “Saturday Night Live,” the comedy institution operating out of Studio 8 at New York's famed 30 Rockefeller Center. With the entry of the series 50th season with its September premiere — which featured Emmy-winning “Hacks” star Jean Smart as host — and this year's major selections providing plenty of material week after week, more eyes are on Lorne Michaels' 90-minute late-night show than ever. Not only that, but Jason Reitman's “Saturday Night,” which focuses on the show's humble beginnings and its chaotic 1975 premiere, will be released on October 11 (the anniversary of “Saturday Night Live”'s premiere).

This fall, I have a feeling Michaels and his company are going out of their way to celebrate the show – An upcoming episode will feature John Mulaney (one of the most popular hosts in recent years). The Lonely Island is back with his first digital short in six years Maya Rudolph is apparently set to play Vice President Kamala Harris for as long as necessary.

With all this in mind, let's go back to the premiere of this series. A handful of people involved, including original host George Carlin and original cast member John Belushi, have died since the show aired – so who else is still around? Here are five heavyweight actors who appeared on the first episode of “Saturday Night Live” and are still alive today.

The youngest member of the original “Saturday Night Live” cast, Dan Aykroyd, made a splash during his time on the show thanks to his impressions – he memorably delivered great renditions of everyone from Richard Nixon to Julia Child – and his cameos in creating sketches like the “Point/Counterpoint” sketch ” with Jane Curtin, in which he spent most of the time shouting “Jane, you ignorant whore” at his friend. (More on Curtin soon!) So what has Aykroyd been up to since he started appearing on “SNL?”

First, there's “Ghostbusters.” Aykroyd co-wrote the film's screenplay with Harold Ramis – although Aykroyd reportedly had to be convinced to leave out a lot of odd things from the script as they prepared to start filming – and it's no secret that thanks to the combined efforts of Aykroyd, Ramis, and director Ivan Reitman, the film was a huge success. a success that spawned a decades-long franchise. Aykroyd also starred in “The Blues Brothers” alongside John Belushi in 1980, adapting their popular “SNL” sketch show for the big screen, not to mention the movie “Coneheads,” which was based on the sketch series. He also starred in many films such as “Trading Places”, “Spies Like Us”, “My Girl”, “Sneakers” and “Tommy Boy”.

These days, Aykroyd spends his time promoting his Crystal Head vodka (yes, the bottle has a similar shape, if you're curious) and has appeared in some modern “Ghostbusters” movies, including 2024's “Frozen.” He is also still one of the directors of the Ghost Corps. production banner at Sony Pictures, which oversees all “Ghostbusters” films.

Honestly, if you've ever read “Live from New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live” by Andrew Miller and Tom Shales, Chevy Chase is the clear villain of “Saturday Night Live.” Yes, he's a funny performer – there's a reason he got on the show – but he also definitely had a habit of abusing his co-stars during his brief stint on the show (he left in the second season of “SNL” after pioneering the “Weekend Update” format in the inaugural season). Chase too he did he won two Emmys for his appearance on the show, both in 1976 for his performances and writing, so clearly this guy is a walking contradiction.

Anyway, after “Saturday Night Live”, Chase went on to star in classic comedies like “Caddyshack”, “National Lampoon's Vacation”, “Fletch” and “¡Three Amigos!”, to name a few. From 2009 to 2014, Chase played grumpy bigot Pierce Hawthorne on “Community,” although, true to form, his co-stars on that show didn't like him either. It obviously didn't bother him much, so take it as you wish.

Jane Curtin may have been called an “ignorant whore” for most of the first season of “Saturday Night Live,” but make no mistake: Curtin's sharp intellect and comedic timing made it clear she was anything but. As the season's “straight woman” lead, Curtin had a habit of letting the show's more outlandish actresses bounce off her, but her assertive approach to performance made her reactions as funny as anything the other person did, and she was also one one of the first female presenters – and the first presenter – of the long-running “Weekend Update” segment, replacing Chevy Chase when he left the program (she first hosted with Dan Aykroyd, followed by Bill Murray).

After leaving “SNL” in 1980, Curtin focused primarily on small-screen projects, working on series such as “Kate & Allie” (for which she won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series) and “3rd Rock from the Sun.” She also reprized the role of Primatt Conehead in “Coneheads” on “SNL.” In recent years, she has appeared in everything from “Broad City” to “The Good Fight” (reprising her role as Judge Pamela Farley from “The Good Wife”) and “The Conners.”

Garrett Morris made history as one of the first cast members of “Saturday Night Live,” but he was also the first black cast member in the show's history, paving the way for future standards like Eddie Murphy, Tim Meadows, Maya Rudolph and long-time cast member Kenan Thompson. Unfortunately, since Morris appeared in a comedy sketch, he ended up playing a number of racial stereotypes, like Dominican baseball player Chico Escuela (whose whole thing is that his English isn't very good) or Dan Aykroyd's “street” buddy and “Wild and Crazy Guys” by Steve Martin. (The problem wasn't unique to Morris; as Murphy once told TV Guide, per Dzwonek felt that producer Jean Doumanian “was trying to 'Garrett Morris' me”).

Morris, along with his original castmate Jane Curtin, left “SNL” in 1980 and worked on films such as “How to Beat the High Cost of Living” and “The Census Taker” (he also reunited with Curtin and Dan Aykroyd for a small role in the film “The Conehead” in 1993). In the 1980s, Morris also appeared on “The Jeffersons” and had a recurring role on “Hill Street Blues,” and in 2023 he guest-starred on the comedy series “How I Met Your Father.”

Along with the late, great Gilda Radner and Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman was one of the three pioneers of “Saturday Night Live” and made a name for herself with an array of increasingly outlandish characters, from Connie Conehead to Christie Christina and beyond. mention Sherry, the stereotypical Valley girl. Unfortunately, Newman was open about struggling with drug addiction while on SNL, so she left the show in 1980 along with several of her colleagues.

After “SNL,” Newman appeared in single episodes or short series on shows such as “Laverne & Shirley,” “St. Elsewhere,” “Friends,” “7th Heaven,” and most recently the comedy series “Ghosts,” and has also lent her voice to the “Despicable Me” films, starting with the second installment of the series in 2013 (and has also voiced roles in Pixar films , such as “WALL-E”, “Finding Nemo” and “The Incredibles”). Newman now has her own young showbiz star: her daughter Hannah Einbinder – Jean Smart's partner in the movie “Hacks”.

If you or someone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's national hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).