Meet Your Favorite Washington Stars Who Made SNL History

Last weekend, Saturday Night Live began its 51st season, hosted by Bad Bunny and featuring Doja Cat as the musical guest. The season opener attracted 4.4 million viewers, which is a decrease from the previous year's premiere viewership.

Amy Poehler will host this weekend (Saturday, October 11th), featuring musical guest Role Model.

Have any Washington residents been a SNL Cast Member?

Julia Sweeney

Born and raised in Spokane, Julia Sweeney is the oldest of five siblings. She attended Marycliff High School and Gonzaga Preparatory School before earning a college degree from the University of Washington.

Julia was a featured cast member on "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) from 1990 to 1994. She is best known for her character "Pat," which was inspired by a classmate from Spokane. The real Pat later became a Gray Line charter tour bus driver in Seattle. (I know this because I met her in Seattle at the Seattle Convention Center in the mid-90s.)

Chris Kattan

Chris graduated from Bainbridge High School in 1989. He got his start in comedy at the Los Angeles improv school (and one of the SNL feeder institutions), The Groundlings.

He appeared on SNL from 1996 to 2003. His main characters of note included Mr. Peepers, Mango, and Azrael Abyss. He starred with Will Ferrell in the 1998 “A Night at the Roxbury.”

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Devon Walker

A stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. In 2022, Walker joined as a featured player for SNL’s 48th season. Devon was born February 13, 1991, in Washington state - but grew up in Austin, Texas. He attended Texas State University.

Are there any other SNL cast members or writers with ties to Washington?

Conan O’Brien 

Before the New England-born funnyman was a household name as a late-night TV host, he spent years (1985-1991) as a writer at SNL. Conan spends some time in Washington - his wife, Liza Powell, was born and raised in Seattle.