Not many people knew that Robert Downey Jr. was once a cast member on SNL. back in 1985. I was only a baby. He was a few segments on the show. Especially the Weekend Update with Anthony Michael Hall. Another SNL cast member who only lasted one season. He isn't the only that made it big when leaving SNL
Janeene Garafalo is another One SNL cast member who left to peruse her comedy. She's hit and miss but, I don't remember her that well since she was around during SNL's worst season. I think it was around the late eighties/early nineties that this happen.
I don't remember her much on the show since I didn't start watching SNL until the late 90's. She was low on the radar, and not as funny as people thought.
Around the year I was born in 84, a few famous people started being on SNL's downfall. Seasons 10 and 11 were not great with most of the cast staying for one season. Christopher Guest was one of them. He and Harry Shearer, another one-time SNL member created Spinal Tap, and the movie was a huge hit on the year I was born.
After Season 11 ended Christopher left and so did Harry. He has been doing parody movies and married Jamie Lee Curtis since then.
Anthony Michael Hall was considered one of the youngest cast members of SNL to be on the show the same year Robert Downey Jr. He was only seventeen when he came on the show. Being a big hit in John Hughes movies like Sixteen Candles, National Lampoon, The Breakfast Club and many more.
He left because he wanted to pursue a movie career, and it worked for him. He hasn't been in much lately but has still been working hard. Leaving SNL behind. I think he's forgotten about it.
Ben Stiller was also on SNL for a little while. I don't remember him either since he was only one for one season as well, before I started watching of course.
He was funny, charming and did his best. However, he didn't want to be on SNL and to pursue a movie career just like Anthony Michael Hall. He's doing ok. His parents were considered funny, and I guess it ran in the family.
There was more one season only characters like Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman, Rob Riggle, Harry Shearer, Jim Belushi (his late brother was funnier), Gilbert Gotfried and even Laurie Metcalf.
Why is Robert Downey Jr. more important than all of them? Well, they're not, they're all equal. It's just...Robert Downey Jr. has something no other SNL cast member have. An Oscar. Sure he's had his ups and downs with the law and has been sober for years, but he made a miracoulous comeback that no one thounght he would do.
Not only has he been sober, but he was also Iron Man, might be the next Doctor Doom in a future Fantastic Four movie, but his portrayal in Oppenheimer won him an Oscar for best Supporting Actor.
Guess SNL was his short-lived stepping stone. It seemed he...as well as others have had to start from somewhere to get to where they were. And one day, they will acheive an Oscar or Emmy or what not, and thank SNL for their start.
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