When the first season of NBC's sketch-comedy show “Saturday Night Live” aired in 1975, observers called it risky. It was broadcast live, had a relatively young cast and did not rely on canned laughter. The show “begs for trouble,” wrote a New York Times critic.
Forty years later, Emmy-winning “SNL” is still poking fun at politics and culture, and helping launch the careers of many up-and-coming actors and actresses.
Ted Conroy, a former "SNL" Page who worked with the show for a few months in 2012, remembers encountering one famous actor during his brief time with the show. Check out the video above.
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Maya Rudolph was on "SNL" from 2000 to 2007, where she impersonated Christina Aguilera, Oprah Winfrey and Condoleezza Rice.
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Dana Carvey joined "SNL" in 1986, and made famous the character of Garth Algar from "Wayne's World."
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Eddie Murphy joined the cast of "SNL" in 1981 and stayed for four years. He portrayed iconic characters and celebrity impressions of Stevie Wonder, James Brown and Bill Cosby.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus spent three seasons on "SNL," joining when she was 21 years old. She later became famous for playing Elaine Benes on "Seinfeld."
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Amy Poehler joined "SNL" in 2011, with her first show right after Sept. 11, and stayed for eight seasons. Poehler currently stars in the NBC series, "Parks and Recreation."
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Chevy Chase was one of the original cast members of "SNL." He was the original anchor for "Weekend Update."
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Mike Myers was a cast member on "SNL" for seven seasons, starting in 1988-89. One of his more famous characters was Wayne Campbell, who he played alongside Dana Carvey's Garth Algar in the "Wayne's World" skit.
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Kristen Wiig was an "SNL" cast member from 2005-2012, where her Suze Orman and Nancy Pelosi impressions were fan favorites. More recently, Wiig was nominated for a Best Actress Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film "Bridesmaids" (2011).
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Bill Murray was a cast member on "SNL" from 1977 to 1980, and has since hosted five times.
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Tina Fey was an "SNL" writer, and a cast member for six seasons, starting in 2000-01. She co-hosted "Weekend Update" with Jimmy Fallon.
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Martin Short was on "SNL" from 1984-85, where his Wheel of Fortune character Ed Grimley and impressions of Jerry Lewis and Katharine Hepburn invigorated the show.
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Dan Aykroyd worked on "SNL" for four seasons, as both a writer and one of the first cast members in the 1975-76 season.
