SNL's Five-Timers Club: What It Is, Who's In It, And Why It's A Big Deal
If you are a fan of Saturday Night Live, you may have heard of something called the Five-Timers Club — an exclusive organization reserved only for the great SNL hosts who have taken the stage at Studio 8H as a headliner at least five times. While, this “club” is really just a fun recurring bit used to poke fun at the long-running sketch comedy’s legacy and for celebrities to poke fun at themselves, being inducted as a member is nothing to take lightly either. We will explain why below, but first, here’s a little introduction for anyone unfamiliar.
What Is The Saturday Night Live Five-Timers Club?
While the first person to be inducted into the Five-Timers Club was former cast member Chevy Chase in 1985, the first mention of it occurred on December 8, 1990. In his monologue that night, the actual creator of the bit, Tom Hanks — who has hosted enough times now to have his own recurring characters — toured the exclusive members lounge, where he socialized with the likes of Steve Martin and Paul Simon.
The club has since been referenced numerous times in the monologues of subsequent inductees and in sketches that return to the lounge — most recently when John Mulaney joined in 2022. The Five-Timers Club gained its newest member, just five months after Academy Award winner Emma Stone was given a jacket by legendary members Tina Fey and Candice Bergen, when SNL Season 49 host and former cast member Kristen Wiig hosted on April 6, 2023.
Who’s In The SNL Five-Timers Club?
On February 25, 2023, it was confirmed that hosting SNL five times is not the only requirement to join the Five-Timers club. Both that night’s host, Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson, and Grammy winner Jack White were inducted at the end of the show – meaning that the club also welcomes in musical guests. That explains why Paul Simon has been recognized as a member despite hosting only four times.
Below are two charts – one presenting the full list of Five-Timers Club members as hosts and another for those inducted as musical guests. Each list also includes the date of the inductee’s first hosting gig, the date of their initiation, and their total number of times headlining or performing on the show so far.
Why It’s A Big Deal
Die-hard SNL fans know that there is no actual club in which multi-time hosts and musical guests like Steve Martin or Miley Cyrus sip scotch in custom-made robes in a lounge backstage. However, the Five-Timers Club does symbolize an achievement of notable importance.
Appearing on a cultural landmark like SNL is widely recognized as a sign of “making it” – including for those who do not regularly act – and being asked to come back at least four more times is a surefire indication of one’s impeccable performing skills, grand sense of humor, compelling onstage charisma, and reliability. Not everybody receives the chance to come back and some people have even been banned from the show, so being a Five-Timer is, most definitely, an honor to be proud of.
If you cannot catch the next induction ceremony as it airs or if you want to relive previous mentions of the Five-Timers Club, you can stream Saturday Night Live with a Peacock Premium subscription or even check out some of the show’s most popular sketches on YouTube, as well.
