9 of the richest Saturday Night Live alumni in 2024 – net worths, ranked: Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Chris Rock, Bill Murray … which comedian earned the most in Hollywood?
- Iconic sketch show Saturday Night Life has a roster of famous alumni who turned their TV break into epic Hollywood careers – and millions in the bank
- Dan Aykroyd and Mike Myers went on to write groundbreaking comedy films Ghostbusters and Wayne’s World, Julia Louis-Dreyfus starred in Seinfeld, but who owns a vodka brand?
Starting with the iconic cold open sketch and phrase “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night”, the show kick-started the careers of big time Hollywood names, including Bill Murray and Adam Sandler. Here’s how these stars used SNL to get mega famous – and mega wealthy. All wealth estimates courtesy of the number crunchers at Celebrity Net Worth.
9. Chris Rock, US$60 million
He may be famous now, but Chris Rock’s star only began to rise after his time on SNL, between 1990-1993. After leaving the show, he comedian and actor went on to star in big hits, including Head of State, Bad Company, The Longest Yard and Grown Ups. He has also had stand-up specials on Netflix and HBO and has hosted the Oscars. According to The Sydney Morning Herald Rock was paid a whopping US$52 million for his two Netflix specials.
8. Harry Shearer, US$85 million
Writer and performer Harry Shearer got his golden ticket to Hollywood after two stints on SNL, from 1979-1980 and then again from 1984-1985. He has been outspoken about his time on the show, telling Neil Griffiths on his podcast that his time on SNL was “The first year, especially – my worst year in show business. Maybe my worst year of my life.” After leaving SNL, Shearer is best known for voicing multiple characters – and bulking up his bank balance – on the lucrative animated show The Simpsons. Per Variety, he was known as the “whitest Black man on TV” when he voiced the character of Dr Hibbert, but in 2020, the show’s producers made the decision to stop using white actors to voice black characters.
7. Will Ferrell, US$160 million
From 1995 to 2002, Will Ferrell gained massive popularity for the various characters he brought to life on SNL. His impersonations of former Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek and former US President George W. Bush, and original characters such as cheerleader Craig Buchanan, are some of his more well-known turns. Ferrell told the Chicago Tribune that he left SNL because it was time to move on and discover whether he could make a success of other roles. From movies like Anchorman, Elf and Barbie to TV show The Office, Ferrell has certainly proved that his comedic chops translate to film and is now widely celebrated for his versatility in Tinseltown.