SNL: 10 Best Recurring Weekend Update Characters, Ranked

Weekend Update has always been one of the most popular segments of Saturday Night Live, thanks in large part to its regular wacky guests.

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Since Saturday Night Live first began in 1975, Weekend Update has always been a very important part of the show. The mid-show segment is a look at the current news with anchors like Chevy Chase, Norm MacDonald, and Tina Fey giving their take on the fake news program.

One of the highlights of the segment is the various characters brought in to comment on news stories. While they can be hit-or-miss, some characters have left a lasting impression and became fan-favorites. With Weekend Update being the perfect platform for these characters, they have gone down as some of the best in the show’s long history.

10 Jebidiah Atkinson

Jebidiah Atkinson started out as a speech critic from the 1800s who was brought on to Weekend Update after historians uncovered a negative article about Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. But despite his posh demeanor, Atkinson is really just a snobbish critic who’s too full of himself.

Taran Killam clearly has a lot of fun delivering the over-the-top and insult-filled critiques of famous speeches throughout history. He came back several times to offer his two cents on everything from holiday movies to the Grammy awards.

9 Tim Calhoun

Will Forte always added an absurd and wacky energy to the show when he was a cast member. Most of his characters were funny just because of how unbelievable bizarre they were. Tim Calhoun was certainly one of those characters.

Calhoun was a soft-spoken politician who often comes of Weekend Update to announce his candidacy for some office he is clearly unfit for. His nervous way of talking never fails to be funny and his increasingly radical political ideas just made the whole thing even more hysterical.

8 Garth And Kat

There have been many musical acts featured on Weekend Update over the years, but Garth and Kat are particularly memorable for their unique presentation. The couple is invited on the program several times only to be running late and unprepared.

Not willing to admit they don’t have a song ready, they proceed to make one up on the spot that turns into a rambling and silly mess. It’s made even funnier by the fact that Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig are also just making the song up in the moment and cracking up doing it.

7 Drunk Uncle

Most of us have those relatives who perhaps overindulge at family get-togethers and start saying some controversial things. That relatability is part of the reason Drunk Uncle was such a hit every time he appeared on the show.

Bobby Moynihan perfectly planned the inebriated uncle who lamented what he perceived as all the problems with society today. His rants rarely made any sense and they always ended with Drunk Uncle breaking down and crying.

6 Roseanne Roseannadanna

One of the true icons of the show is Gilda Radner, who was part of the original cast and is always remembered for her fearless performances. Radner’s skills can most clearly be seen in what is likely her most memorable character, the hilariously-named Roseanne Roseannadanna.

Roseanne was brought onto Weekend Update to answer viewer mail. Inevitably, each time after reading the viewer’s question, she goes off on some unrelated and unhelpful tangent. Her vulgar and aggressive demeanor made her a lovably hilarious character.

5 Bennett Brauer

Chris Farley was one of the most beloved performers on the show and he created many great characters during his time. His most memorable Weekend Update character was Bennett Brauer, who played off of all of Farley’s likable qualities.

Brauer is meant to provide commentary during his segment but ends up just talking about all the negative ways people perceive him. Using aggressive air quotes, Brauer admits he’s not “likable” he doesn’t “get along with people, or “let his scabs heal.”

4 Nicolas Cage

While Nicolas Cage can be a pretty entertaining actor, he is also not very picky about the roles he chooses nor is he restrained with his performances. Andy Samberg embraces Cage’s eccentric persona in the Weekend Update segment “Get in the Cage” in which Cage would interview fellow actors.

The interview with real actors like Bradley Cooper and Paul Rudd usually just involved Cage complaining about why he wasn’t in their new movie, then threatening his guests. The highlight came when the real Nicolas Cage joined the segment and played along with the joke.

3 The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party

While Weekend Update doesn’t get too heavy into the actual world events, the Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party tries really hard (too hard) to enlighten everyone with her knowledge.

Cecily Strong is a comedic tour de force as the arrogant and obnoxious party girl who has clearly had a lot to drink and decides to explain the world events to us in the most condescending way possible. The fact that she doesn’t have any of the facts straight adds wonderfully to this train wreck of a character.

2 Opera Man

During his time as a cast member on the show, Adam Sandler was known for his hilarious and charming songs he would perform on Weekend Update. He took that love of music and shaped an iconic character named Opera Man.

Quite simply, Opera Man would come on Weekend Update and give a rundown of some of the biggest news stories of the day in the form of an opera song. Sandler revisited the character when he hosted recently and it is still a delight to watch.

1 Stefon

Stefon might not only be the most popular Weekend Update character of all time, but he might also be the most popular character ever to appear on SNL. Bill Hader and John Mulaney created this bizarre and lovable man who was an expert on New York’s hottest clubs.

While Stefon is often brought on the segment to offer his expertise for visiting NYC tourists, his recommendations are so out-there and deranged. Hader himself can never make it through one of these bits without breaking out into laughter.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/best-regular-weekend-update-characters-ranked-saturday-night-live-ranked/