It’s not uncommon for a celebrity to host Saturday Night Live more than once.
Repeat appearances became part of the show’s nomenclature around the time Tom Hanks introduced the world to the “five-timers club” when he hosted the show for a fifth (and definitely not final) time on Dec. 8, 1990. There are even a handful of people who made it to a sort-of double five-timers club, thanks to the sheer amount of hosting duties they’ve had over the years.
The most hosting appearances of all-time for Saturday Night Live includes several names that are still prominent today, and have potential to host again and add to their burgeoning status. Surprisingly, only three of our top 10 served as cast members on the show, but we would estimate that one of them — who’s still living — won’t be adding to the list again, due to their poor reputation.
Our list starts off with a five-way tie for the most hosting appearances, and things aren’t helped by their continued eligibility as hosts. Any one of them could break away from the pack and pick up another hosting gig — in particular our first selection, who is still synonymous with SNL today.
Tina Fey (tie) — Six
A longtime writer and eventual Weekend Update host for SNL, Tina Fey rose to prominence by showing the diversity of her talents — split between the two aforementioned gigs — as well as her brilliant acting abilities across various skits. Fey has served as host six times now, and she still pops up on occasion to reprise certain roles — particularly political ones. On top of that, as many fans will know, she spun her time at SNL into a full-fledged sitcom titled 30 Rock. The show doubles as shorthand for the NBC headquarters in New York City, located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. After a slow start, the show really started to take off in its second season, relying on heaps of source material with backing from the SNL big-wigs (mostly Lorne Michaels).
Danny DeVito (tie) — Six
Remarkably, Danny DeVito experienced a full 17 years between his first and last (for now) hosting gig on SNL. We say remarkably because DeVito remained prominent — and even took his status into the stratosphere with his involvement in It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia — during that entire stint, and remains relevant to this day. Considering It’s Always Sunny‘s longevity, it’s surprising DeVito hasn’t added to his six hosting duties since his last appearance on Dec. 11, 1999.
Drew Barrymore (tie) — Six
Drew Barrymore’s range in her own work, as well as that of hosting SNL, is clear. From lovable youngster to girl next door to wild child and back again, Barrymore is one of few actors the entire nation loves. The distance between her first shot at the big stage and her most recent time hosting rivals just about anyone else on the list. Her first hosting appearance occurred all the way back in Nov. 20, 1982 — when she was just 7 years old (!!) — and her most recent stint as host was on Oct. 10, 2009. Considering her propensity for comedy, and the fact she’s on our screens on a regular basis, it seems like a matter of when — not if — she’ll host again.
Scarlett Johansson (tie) — Six
Scarlett Johansson is similar to Barrymore in the metamorphosis her career has undergone from when she first graced the SNL stage to her most recent appearance. ScarJo was only 22 when she first hosted the program, coming off of several indy performances including Lost In Translation and a few Woody Allen films, and by the time her most recent performance came about on Dec. 14, 2019 she was a full-fledged superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Elliott Gould (tie) — Six
Likely the first lesser-known addition to this list, Elliott Gould’s hosting spots came at a time when the gig wasn’t as wide open as it is today. Modern SNL allows just about anyone, from any walk of life, to have a chance at the hosting spot on on the show, but that wasn’t always the case. To wit, Gould first hosted on Jan. 10, 1976, and was done with his time as host by Nov. 15, 1980, needing little more than four years to accrue a full six appearances. The 84-year-old actor is most likely recognizable to a younger generation thanks to his portrayal of Jack Geller, father of Ross and Monica, on Friends, as well as his role in the modern Ocean’s film series. Gould was a star in his own right due to his time on M*A*S*H as well as The Long Goodbye, long before many modern viewers were born.
Christopher Walken — Seven
Just about everyone ⏤ has got ⏤ their own ⏤ Christopher ⏤ Walken ⏤ impression . The man has been at the center of some of the most quotable SNL skits ever — including “more cowbell” — and he’s still eligible for a return. Walken first got his shot hosting on Jan. 20, 1992 and was last on the center stage back in April of 2008.
Chevy Chase — Eight
Here it is, the person we alluded to earlier who likely won’t be getting asked back to host SNL ever again. Chase’s best work on the show was arguably on Weekend Update, but these days he’s known more for his controversies. The actor rubbed plenty of people in the business the wrong way over the years, but his problematic tendencies really came to light during his time on the hit show Community. Chase was a cast member on SNL for a stint before, believing himself too big to continue on as a cast member, he departed. He hosted the show for the first time on Feb. 18, 1978 and had regular appearances all the way through to his last hosting gig on Feb. 15, 1997.
Tom Hanks (tie) — Ten
Twenty-seven years after his first stint as SNL host, Tom Hanks remains just as likely to end up hosting today as he was in the 1980s, ‘90s, or 2000s. Hanks arrived onstage for the first time on Dec. 14, 1985 and had his fifth appearance less than five years later. In the 20 years since, he’s hosted another five times, with his most recent appearance arriving on April 2020.
Buck Henry (tie) — Ten
Buck Henry is most assuredly the least-known name on this list, and his run of appearances stacked up in a surprisingly short time. Henry had his first hosting gig on Jan. 17, 1976, and, within two years, had knocked out five stints as host. By the time he’d been around four years, he’d knocked out another five appearances as host, leaving him with a full 10 hosting gigs in total. Henry hosted for the last time on May 24, 1980. An acclaimed actor, writer, and director, Henry was most well-known for his work on The Graduate, Heaven Can Wait, and Get Smart, as well as on the TV shows Murphy Brown, Will & Grace, and even 30 Rock. Born Henry Zuckerman, the beloved actor passed away on Jan. 8, 2020.
John Goodman — Thirteen
One of the greatest character actors to grace the small and big screen, its still a little surprising to see John Goodman cinch the third-most hosting spots on SNL. Goodman has remained in the spotlight over the decades, starting with great film work through the 1980s and picking up steam when he got a co-starring gig on Roseanne from 1988 to 1997. He picked that gig back up for the Roseanne reboot, which eventually became The Conners, and he’s maintained a presence in both movies and on TV. Goodman got his first shot at hosting on Dec. 2, 1989 and last had those duties on Dec. 14, 2013, and the time since his last appearance as host indicates it’s not very likely he’ll rise above third on this list.
Steve Martin — Sixteen
Steve Martin is synonymous with Saturday Night Live. Quite possibly the most-beloved cast member of all-time, Martin has been so great at hosting he’s still up to the task to this day. This is evidenced by his most recent hosting spot at the end of last year, on Dec. 10, 2022. Within the next year or two, Martin even has the potential to snatch the “most times hosting” mantle from the current number one. His opening monologues and standalone skits are things of legend (the one above remains a personal favorite), starting with his first time as host on Oct. 23, 1976. That’s an astonishing 46 years between his first time hosting and his most current appearance.
Alec Baldwin — Seventeen
A search didn’t produce any definitive results, but there’s a chance Alec Baldwin has been on SNL more times than anyone who wasn’t a cast member at one point in time. Many people forget that Baldwin wasn’t a cast member, thanks in large part to his role on 30 Rock blending into the ongoing sketch comedy show. Baldwin appeared on the show numerous times in addition to his hosting appearances, which stand at 17 in 2023. There’s a very strong chance that — even without hosting again — Baldwin will remain in the top three for a long, long time. Hanks, or maybe Fey, seem to be the only real candidates capable of cracking the top-three on this list, with a nod to John Mulaney for accruing the most appearances out of the younger generation so far. Baldwin came onboard as SNL host for the first time on April 21, 1990, and last hosted on Feb. 11, 2019.
