Who Has Hosted SNL the Most Times?

Saturday Night Live's 11 Most Frequent Hosts of All Time

Hosting Saturday Night Live is one of those milestones that proves you've really made it. So who's hosted SNL the most times? Unsurprisingly, many of the most frequent hosts are comedians themselves — some of whom actually were cast members on the sketch comedy series before branching out into their own individual careers. SNL has their "Five Timers Club," filled with hosts who have appeared at least — you guessed it — five times, but the most long-running hosts have all gone beyond that. Keep reading to see which celebs have hosted SNL the most, and catch up on some of their funniest and most famous sketches!

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22. Tina Fey: 6 Hosting Appearances

Fey was a cast member and writer on SNL from 1997 to 2006, but she returned several times after to host the show for a total of 6 hosting appearances so far. Her Sarah Palin impression during the 2008 election was, probably, her most famous skit.

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21. Tina Fey, "Gov. Sarah Palin's Press Conference"

20. Elliott Gould: 6 Hosting Appearances

Comedy actor Gould was never part of the show's main cast, but he appeared in plenty of the show's enduring sketches from the 1980s in particular. He appeared as a network executive in a Star Trek parody and as a "Killer Bee," among others.

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19. Elliott Gould, "The Killer Bees: Home Invasion"

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18. Drew Barrymore: 6 Hosting Appearances

Barrymore became the youngest host ever at age 7, when she hosted a 1982 episode fresh off her E.T. success. She's since returned five times and has played everything from a whiny orphan to a guest of "the Lovahs."

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17. Drew Barrymore, "The Love-ahs with Barbara and Dave"

16. Danny DeVito: 6 Hosting Appearances

DeVito's six appearances have been packed with nods to his acting career, as well as some quirky celebrity impressions (most famously as Mikhail Gorbachev). In a bit of fun trivia, he hosted the last SNL episode of 1999, making him the last host of the 20th century.

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15. Danny DeVito, "Police Wire"

14. Christopher Walken: 7 Hosting Appearances

During his 7 hosting gigs on SNL, Walken parodied some of his own roles, but his original characters were even more memorable. He participated in one of the running "Lovahs" sketches, and coined the phrase "I gotta have more cowbell!" as a wacky music producer in the famous Behind the Music spoof.

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13. Christopher Walken, "More Cowbell"

12. Chevy Chase: 8 Hosting Appearances

Chase's SNL career began as the original anchor for the "Weekend Update," but he returned even after leaving the show's full-time cast. His later guest appearances included a Caddyshack skit co-starring Bill Murray, an appearance as "The Land Shark," and several reunion specials.

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11. Chevy Chase: "Debate '76"

10. Tom Hanks: 9 Hosting Appearances

Hanks has hosted the show nine times over nearly 30 years. His earlier appearances included such characters as "Mr. Short Term Memory," while later hosting gigs poked fun at some of his own roles, including Captain "Sully."

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9. Tom Hanks, "Mr. Short Term Memory Visits the Hospital"

8. Buck Henry: 10 Hosting Appearances

Henry was the most frequent host during SNL's first five years, with all ten of his hosting stints happening over that five year span. His famous recurring characters included a mean stunt coordinator named Howard and Mr. Dantley, the "customer" in John Belushi's "Samurai Futaba" sketches.

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7. The Olympia Restaurant with Buck Henry - SNL

6. John Goodman: 13 Hosting Appearances

Goodman is a classic SNL fave who's also appeared more recently. He's done impressions of celebrities (including, famously, Robert de Niro) as well as original characters.

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5. John Goodman, "The Joe Pesci Show"

4. Steve Martin: 15 Hosting Appearances

Martin's 15 appearances as the host of SNL have included some iconic sketches. His classic appearances in the 1970s — often opposite fellow comedy legend Bill Murray — included famous moments such as his "King Tut" musical sketch, a parrot cracker bit, and the "Coneheads" game show sketch.

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3. Steve Martin, "King Tut"

2. Alec Baldwin: 17 Times Hosting

Baldwin is the undisputed champion when it comes to hosting SNL, with a whopping 17 appearances between 1990 and 2017 so far. While his most recent skits have been focussed on his impression of Donald Trump, he had plenty of memorable skits, including the mildly NSFW "Schweddy Balls."

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