The Not Ready For Prime-Time Players: Where Are The Original SNL Cast Members Now In 2025?

The original cast of Saturday Night Live, affectionately known as The Not Ready for Prime-Time Players, remains one of the most consequential ensembles in television history. As of late 2024 and early 2025, their collective legacy is experiencing a massive resurgence, driven by the highly anticipated SNL 50: The Anniversary Special set for February 16, 2025, and a new Off-Broadway play named after the group. This groundbreaking group—Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner—launched careers that defined modern comedy, and decades later, the surviving members are still making headlines with major film roles, new honors, and candid reflections on their chaotic, brilliant start.

The energy that exploded onto screens on October 11, 1975, was a cultural seismic shift, and the world is once again focusing on the seven comedic trailblazers who made SNL an institution. From a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for one member to a new documentary for another, here is a deep dive into the original cast, their revolutionary time on the show, and where The Not Ready for Prime-Time Players are today.

The Original Seven: Full Biography and Current Status (2024–2025)

The inaugural cast was a carefully curated mix of improvisational theater veterans, stand-up comedians, and sketch artists, all hand-picked by creator Lorne Michaels. Their individual careers have been just as varied and impactful as their time together in Studio 8H.

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• Dan Aykroyd (Age: 72 as of 2024)
  • Born: July 1, 1952, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
  • SNL Tenure: 1975–1979.
  • Key SNL Characters: Beldar Conehead, Elwood Blues, E. Buzz Miller (Weekend Update commentator).
  • Post-SNL Highlights: The Blues Brothers (1980), Ghostbusters franchise, Trading Places, Crystal Head Vodka founder.
  • Current Status (2024–2025): Aykroyd reprised his iconic role as Ray Stantz in the major 2024 film release, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. He continues to tour with Jim Belushi as The Blues Brothers and has been promoting a new Blues Brothers graphic novel, keeping the legacy of his partnership with John Belushi alive.
• Chevy Chase (Age: 81 as of 2024)
  • Born: October 8, 1943, in New York City, New York.
  • SNL Tenure: 1975–1976 (Left after Season 1).
  • Key SNL Characters: The first "Weekend Update" anchor, Gerald Ford impression, Land Shark announcer.
  • Post-SNL Highlights: Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation franchise, Community.
  • Current Status (2024–2025): Chase’s career is the subject of a new CNN documentary scheduled for release in late 2025, where he candidly admitted that leaving SNL after the first season was a "mistake." He has also made several public appearances and sightings in 2025, maintaining a presence in pop culture.
• Jane Curtin (Age: 77 as of 2024)
  • Born: September 6, 1947, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • SNL Tenure: 1975–1980.
  • Key SNL Characters: Co-anchor of "Weekend Update," Prymaat Conehead, Enid Loopner.
  • Post-SNL Highlights: Kate & Allie (two-time Emmy winner), 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Librarian franchise.
  • Current Status (2024–2025): Curtin continues to take on interesting roles, most recently starring in the 2023 quirky indie film Jules alongside Ben Kingsley. She is a powerful voice in the history of comedy, frequently reflecting on the early days of SNL and the challenges of being one of the few women in the original cast.
• Garrett Morris (Age: 87 as of 2024)
  • Born: February 1, 1937, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • SNL Tenure: 1975–1980.
  • Key SNL Characters: Chico Escuela (baseball player), President Idi Amin, The first Black cast member.
  • Post-SNL Highlights: Martin, The Jamie Foxx Show, Two Broke Girls.
  • Current Status (2024–2025): Morris was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February 2024, a significant recognition of his pioneering career. He is also one of the four surviving original cast members expected to take part in the SNL 50 special in 2025.
• Laraine Newman (Age: 72 as of 2024)
  • Born: March 2, 1952, in Los Angeles, California.
  • SNL Tenure: 1975–1980.
  • Key SNL Characters: Sheri the Valley Girl, Connie Conehead, Babette.
  • Post-SNL Highlights: Prolific voice actress in animated films and TV, including Pixar's Inside Out and WALL-E.
  • Current Status (2024–2025): Newman remains one of Hollywood's most in-demand voice actors. Her upcoming projects include the animated feature The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (2025) and the fantasy series adaptation The Sisters Grimm (2025), showcasing her enduring versatility.
• John Belushi (1949–1982)
  • Born: January 24, 1949, in Chicago, Illinois.
  • SNL Tenure: 1975–1979.
  • Key SNL Characters: Samurai Futaba, Jake Blues, The Killer Bees, The manic, high-energy performer.
  • Legacy: His explosive talent and early death at age 33 cemented his status as a comedic legend and a cautionary tale of the rock-and-roll lifestyle. His work in Animal House and The Blues Brothers is foundational to comedy film.
• Gilda Radner (1946–1989)
  • Born: June 28, 1946, in Detroit, Michigan.
  • SNL Tenure: 1975–1980.
  • Key SNL Characters: Roseanne Roseannadanna, Emily Litella, Lisa Loopner, The heart of the original cast.
  • Legacy: Radner was the soul of the original cast, known for her sweetness and vulnerability alongside her brilliant character work. Her battle with ovarian cancer led to the establishment of Gilda's Club, a network of support centers for people with cancer and their families. Her life was celebrated in the 2018 documentary Love, Gilda.

The Enduring Influence of The Not Ready for Prime-Time Players

The name "The Not Ready for Prime-Time Players" was a playful jab at the late-night slot SNL occupied, but the talent was anything but amateur. They were a revolutionary force that redefined sketch comedy, blending counter-culture sensibilities with mainstream television. The original cast set the tone for the show's next five decades, establishing the blueprint for the "star-making machine" that SNL would become.

Their influence can be seen in several key areas:

• The "Weekend Update" Format: Chevy Chase’s deadpan delivery and signature opening, "Good evening, and welcome to Saturday Night, a.k.a. Weekend Update," created the satirical news segment that has been a mainstay of the show ever since. Jane Curtin later cemented this role as the smart, straight-woman foil, a dynamic still used today.
• The Birth of the Blockbuster Comedy: The immense popularity of the cast members, particularly Belushi and Aykroyd, directly led to massive box-office success. Films like Animal House and The Blues Brothers were essentially extensions of their SNL personas and sketches, pioneering the path for future SNL stars like Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, and Will Ferrell to dominate Hollywood.
• The Power of Character: Characters like Roseanne Roseannadanna and the Coneheads proved that deeply weird, specific, and often grotesque characters could become national phenomena. The cast members were masters of physical comedy and improvisation, skills honed at places like The Second City, which became the preferred talent pipeline for SNL.

The SNL 50th Anniversary and the Lorne Michaels Legacy

The approaching 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live is the primary reason for the renewed focus on its founding members. The special, titled SNL 50: The Anniversary Special, is scheduled to air live on NBC and Peacock on Sunday, February 16, 2025. This milestone event is expected to be a massive reunion, with Garrett Morris already confirmed as an anticipated participant.

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Behind the scenes, the show's creator, Lorne Michaels, remains the constant. Michaels, who also created the show, is a pivotal figure whose career is being celebrated in parallel with the anniversary. A new "definitive" biography on Michaels is slated for a February 2025 release, and a major exhibition, "Live from New York: The Lorne Michaels Collection," is set to open in September 2025. This focus confirms that the show’s original vision, established by Michaels and the first cast, is the foundation of its longevity.

Furthermore, the influence extends beyond the stage and screen to the writers’ room. The original writing staff, which included figures like Rosie Shuster, Alan Zweibel, and the pioneering female writer Marilyn Suzanne Miller, worked in a dynamic and often competitive environment with the cast. Their collaborative, fast-paced approach to topical satire is what truly made the show a fresh, must-watch event every week, establishing a template for comedy writing that is still studied today.

The original cast of SNL did more than just launch a TV show; they launched a genre. Their combined work—the high-wire act of live comedy, the creation of indelible characters, and the subsequent careers in film and television—is a rich tapestry of American entertainment. As the world prepares to celebrate 50 years of SNL, it is The Not Ready for Prime-Time Players who deserve the first and loudest applause for making live, late-night comedy a cultural necessity.

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