Where You’ve Seen These SNL Writers and Stars Before
These stars are now well known in television for their contributions to comedy, but you may not have realized they once got their start as writers for Saturday Night Live.
They’re the creative minds behind some of TV’s most iconic late night talk shows and comedies, including Seinfeld and Parks and Recreation, but many fans may not know these talented stars got their start as writers on Saturday Night Live.
Over the last 50 years, working in the SNL writer’s room has become like a rite of passage for some of comedy’s best and brightest, who earn their stripes working in one of comedy’s most intense and high-pressure settings.
Peacock’s four-part docuseries SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night offers an in-depth look at the often hectic life of a writer on the sketch comedy show as they have just one week to write and produce an entirely new episode by Saturday night.
“I mean, it’s an institution,” comedian and actor Larry David shared in the docuseries. “It’s just an American institution, it could go on for another 200 years.”
Now, in its 50th Season, SNL has a long list of writers who’ve once graced the studio’s hallowed halls. While some like Tina Fey and Seth Meyers are well-known for their ties to SNL, you may be surprised to learn these stars were also once writers at SNL:
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Larry David
Comedian and actor Larry David cemented his place in the comedy history books for his work on Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, but he also had a short-lived stint on SNL.
David, who got his start as a stand-up comedian, was hired as a writer in 1984 for SNL’s 10th Season after starring in another sketch comedy show called Fridays. While at SNL, he met future Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who was a member of the cast at the time. David stayed for one season, getting just one sketch on the air during his brief tenure.
After leaving SNL in 1985, David went on to create Seinfeld with fellow comedian Jerry Seinfeld. He served as an executive producer, showrunner, and writer on the show during its nine-season run. In 2000, David launched his next project, Curb Your Enthusiasm, this time starring in the series as an exaggerated version of himself. Although David’s days as an SNL writer may be behind him, he has returned to SNL as a host twice, in 2016 and 2017, and memorably portrayed Senator Bernie Sanders in numerous guest appearances.
John Mulaney
Stand-up comedian John Mulaney may now be a member of SNL’s prestigious Five-Timer’s Club, after his numerous hosting gigs on the show, but his history with SNL actually began behind the scenes.
Mulaney worked as a writer on the show, beginning in 2008. He is known for creating eccentric "Weekend Update" New York City tour guide Stefon alongside Bill Hader, who masterfully played the character on screen, and creating the overly affectionate kissing Vogelcheck family. Mulaney largely stayed behind the scenes during his time as a writer on the show, but did appear on "Weekend Update" in 2010 as a man advocating for year round Girl Scout cookies.
After leaving SNL in 2013, Mulaney’s stand-up career has thrived. He’s appeared in numerous stand-up specials including 2015’s The Comeback Kid, 2018’s Kid Gorgeous — which won him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special — and 2023’s Baby J. According to Variety, Netflix announced in October they were planning to do a variety live talk show with Mulaney in 2025 after the success of the Mulaney-led 2024 limited series Everybody’s in LA. He’s also known for his voicework in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and as a co-executive producer and writer on the IFC mockumentary series Documentary Now!
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Conan O’Brien
It’s impossible to think about late night television without Conan O’Brien coming to mind. O’Brien graced America’s television screens for nearly three decades as the host of The Late Show with Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show, and later, Conan, but O’Brien’s early career began on another late night staple.
O’Brien joined SNL’s writing staff in 1988 after getting his start in television as a writer on the sketch comedy show Not Necessarily the News. While at SNL, he was known for writing sketches like Tom Hanks’ "Mr. Short Term Memory," the "Girl Watchers," and "Nude Beach."
O’Brien left SNL in 1991 to become a writer and producer on The Simpsons. Then, just two years after his departure, Michaels tapped him to take over hosting duties on the Late Show, kicking off his long tenure as a late night host. Now retired from his late night gigs, O’Brien does his podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend and appears in the Max travel series Conan O’Brien Must Go.
Bob Odenkirk
Bob Odenkirk is not only a talented actor, but he also has a way with words. Odenkirk, who trained under legendary comedy teacher Del Close, was hired as a writer on SNL in 1987.
While on a summer hiatus from the show, Odenkirk was sharpening his skills with Chicago’s The Second City alongside future SNL star Chris Farley when he created the character Matt Foley, an unconventional motivational speaker living “in a van down by the river,” according to his Second City bio. Odenkirk eventually brought the character to SNL for Farley, who joined the sketch comedy in 1990. Odenkirk once called the sketch “the most fun I had in show business,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
After leaving SNL in 1991, Odenkirk continued to write for Late Show with Conan O’Brien, The Ben Stiller Show, and The Dana Carvey Show before landing his own sketch comedy show in 1995. Mr. Show with Bob and David, co-starring Odenkirk and his friend David Cross, quickly became a cult classic. Then, Odenkirk’s career took a turn into drama when he landed the role of sleazy attorney Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad. When the acclaimed show wrapped in 2013, Odenkirk’s Saul Goodman got his own spinoff, aptly titled Better Call Saul.
Michael Schur
Michael Schur has had his hand in some of this recent history’s most enduring comedies. Schur — who many may recognize from his role as Mose Schrute on The Office — was a producer and writer on The Office before co-creating Parks & Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Rutherford Falls. Schur is also responsible for creating NBC’s The Good Place, starring Ted Danson and Kristen Bell. His latest comedy, A Man on the Inside, reunites Schur and Danson, who plays a retired professor who goes undercover to solve a mystery at a nursing home.
The successful writer and producer's career started at SNL. Schur, once president of The Harvard Lampoon, joined SNL mid-way through the 23rd Season in 1998. He later became the producer of "Weekend Update" in 2001.
He left SNL in 2004 and joined The Office a short time later. In the years that followed, Schur has become known for creating comedies that take an optimistic slant on life and focus on the deep bonds of friendship.
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Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman may have only been at SNL for a year, but she credits the experience with helping to launch her career. As Silverman once told Fox 29 Philadelphia, she was just 22 years old when she landed the job as a writer and featured performer in 1993 during the show’s 19th Season.
“You know, I’ve been doing stand-up since I was 17 and if somebody said what’s your process for writing a joke, I’d be like, ‘I don’t know,’ but if I force myself to sit down something will come from it,” Silverman remarked of her writing process in the SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night.
SNL became a springboard for Silverman, who went on to appear in Mr. Show with Bob and David, The Larry Sanders Show, the '90s comedy There’s Something About Mary, and School of Rock. In 2007, she starred in and produced The Sarah Silverman Program on Comedy Central for three seasons, earning her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She also voiced Vanellope in Wreck-It Ralph and Ralph Breaks the Internet and hosted the Hulu topical series I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman.
