WhenSaturday Night Livebegan, it wasnt even calledSaturday Night Live.

That honor belonged to a rival variety showhosted by Howard Cosellthat launched the same year on ABC primetime.

That earliest and now quasi-mythical first class ofSNLalumni remain the only ones to hold that title.

Original Saturday Night Live Cast 1970s Not Ready for Primetime Players

But who fromSNLs comedy campus hit it biggest at the multiplex?

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20.

In reality, he was featured in four episodes between March and April.

As a consequence, Louis-Dreyfus was one of many cast members who felt underused by the series.

At the end of the season that came to a head when, during a sketch called Mr.

Monopoly, Wayans was reduced to another one-line part as a straight man: a cop.

Well, he did work again.

He then kept strolling to the local cinema.

This was proven by early 2010s comedy hits (remember those?

)Were the MillersandHorrible Bosses.

Instead he madeSNLbuoyant during its still rocky early 80s period when the series seemed destined for cancellation.

Short also has enjoyed a long film career with largely supporting work in ensemble pieces likeMars Attacks!andInnerspace.

This soon transitioned to a respectable movie career that is still going.

That film spawned a Broadway musical and then a movie musical remake, in which she also appeared.

Audiences still welcome him too, as the newGhostbustersflicks attest.

Evil characters, and playing both of them inAustin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

It spawned a trilogy of films.

His marquee name even made the atrocious live-actionThe Cat in the Hatmovie somehow a hit in 2003.

Few of his castmates or co-writers were amused.

Lets just say theres no Film Twitter reappraisal ofMemoirs of the Invisible Manor demands for aFunny Farmlegacy sequel.

You know their names:Anchorman,Talladega Nights,Step Brothers, andThe Other Guys.

Deeds,Anger Management, andClick.

He even once in a while starred in a good movie during this run, a laThe Wedding Singer.

Say what you will about their quality, but these movies reached a ready and willing audience.

It might have been a short career but it remains an incredibly influential one.

The sadness is John could have done anything, Robin Williams said inLive from New York.

He loved music, but the fact is he could have acted and done some really great drama.

Kind of like Elvis on that level.

He was like a comic Brando.

He had the thing.

That underestimation, and the person who made it, did not last long.

He was 18 when hired.

Two years later he starred opposite Dan Aykroyd in John LandisTrading Places.

He also has done solid dramatic work on occasion, as seen inDreamgirlsandDolemite Is My Name.

Just dont look upPluto Nash.

The latter was Murrays first true star vehicle and a runaway hit.

It was also the second consecutive film Murray did with his earliest creative soulmate, Harold Ramis.

Ramis and Murray also sadly fell out on the latter.

Still, Murray continued to do solid stuff as a mainstream comedy star in the likes ofWhat About Bob?

More impressive was how Murray transitioned to dramatic and prominent character work better than any otherSNLalumni as he aged.

The pair would work together 10 more times (and counting).