Top 5 Podcasts Hosted by ‘SNL’ Cast Members
We feel for striking actors who receive embarrassingly small residual checks for their work on television and movies. But actors nowadays at least get one thing that their predecessors did not — a podcast! Current and former cast members of Saturday Night Live are no exception, with podcasts featuring comics talking about the show, performing in character or just letting their comedy freak flags fly. Here are five favorites to check out from past and present SNL performers...
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Fly on the Wall
The most SNL-y of podcasts hosted by Saturday Night Live alums is Fly on the Wall, a weekly conversation between David Spade, Dana Carvey and an SNL-adjacent guest. The best episodes revolve around former cast members like Molly Shannon, Jason Sudeikis and Rachel Dratch spinning behind-the-scenes stories. Celebrities who hosted the show like Paul Rudd, Jeff Goldblum and Drew Barrymore also are a blast and unsurprisingly. Even Carvey’s tendency to repeat stories and interrupt guests is somehow lovable (for now) — for listeners into SNL lore, this podcast is the one.
The Ron Burgundy Podcast
Why is Will Ferrell of all people doing a podcast? He’s still relevant as a movie star, with both Barbie and Strays hitting theaters this summer. And since the podcast began in 2019, it wasn’t an “it’s the pandemic and I can’t leave my house” thing. If we had to guess, it’s because the Groundlings alum still likes to play around, and The Ron Burgundy Podcast gives Ferrell ample opportunity to improvise in a format that doesn’t require huge ratings or boffo box office.
The results can be mixed (and Ferrell hasn’t produced a new episode yet in 2023), but there are more hits than misses, with weirder episodes like “Ron’s Haunted Garage” scoring points just for trying something different. We wish SNL took as many chances as The Ron Burgundy Podcast.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
You could argue that the hilarious banter on Las Culturistas was one reason Yang ended up on SNL in the first place. It’s a format you’ve heard before — quippy hosts riffing on pop culture — it’s just that Rogers and Yang do it better than most everyone else, balancing wearied humor with surprising heart. Yang recently announced that he’s taking a mental health break from the show, but here’s hoping he’s back soon to carve up celebrity culture once again.
Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers
A relatively new podcast, Family Trips features Seth Meyers and his brother, Mad TV writer Josh, talking to funny people about childhood vacations. It’s a surprisingly rich area for comic storytelling, letting us inside our comedy heroes’ weirdo upbringings (Colin Jost and his brother chewed the station wagon headrests down to the metal) with tales that are easy to relate to. Whoever titles each installment should get a raise — how can anyone resist an episode named “Amy Poehler Made a Huge Mistake in Punta Cana”?
Laughing With Myself
Lorne Michaels could never quite figure out what to do with Melissa Villasenor, a talented musician and mimic who got stuck in the “celebrity impersonator” role on SNL. Laughing With Myself gives Villasenor a chance to create art, play music and just plain goof around. In a recent episode, she gets to show off her comic storytelling ability (and Big Dad Energy) with tales of her new shop vac. Check it out — short, snappy and sweet.
