"Saturday Night Live": Comedian Characteristics Quiz

Answer: Damon Wayans

Nealon, Quaid, and Chase are all a towering 6'4". Wayans is only an inch shorter. "SNL" has had a number of tall cast members, including Norm MacDonald, Dan Aykroyd, Will Ferrell, and many others.

Answer: Denny Dillon

Dillon is only 4'11", and is almost a foot and a half shorter than tallest cast members Kevin Nealon, Randy Quaid, and Chevy Chase.

Answer: Darrell Hammond

Hammond began his run on the show at the beginning of the '95-'96 season. Tim Meadows was on the show for ten seasons, but was featured for the first three. Many cast members were on the show for a long time. Phil Hartman was a regular for eight seasons. Kevin Nealon was also a regular for eight seasons, and a featured player for one. Al Franken has been a featured player for twelve non-consecutive seasons; the '77-'78 season through the '79-'80 season, the '85-'86 season, and the '87-'88 season through the '94-'95 season.

Answer: True

Phil Hartman was the first to play Clinton. After he left the show, there was a sketch in which Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, David Spade, Tim Meadows, and Chris Elliott jokingly auditioned to take up the role, each in their own special way. For the rest of the season, Michael McKean played Clinton.

The next season, Darrell Hammond took up what is arguably his most famous impression. Later, Dana Carvey hosted an episode in which he played a younger version of the 42nd president in a flashback.

Answer: Chris Rock

Rock was on "In Living Color" for a season after leaving "SNL", but "SNL" was his first sketch show. Richards was on "SNL"'s rival show "madTV" for a brief period before becoming an "SNL" cast member. Short was a regular on "SCTV Network 90" before "SNL". Breuer was on the short-lived "Uptown Comedy Club" several years before landing a job on "SNL".

Answer: 2

Billy Crystal and Michael McKean each hosted a show before they signed on as regular cast members. Interestingly, Crystal was supposed to make an appearance on the first episode of "SNL", but his segment got cut out because there wasn't enough time in the schedule.

Answer: Norm Macdonald

Norm said the forbidden word accidentally, in 1997, when he botched one of his lines. However, Rocket is more legendary for his getting fired, even though Macdonald was also later fired for not being "funny enough". Paul Shaffer also mumbled the word during a sketch in 1980, and numerous musical guests have slipped it in during songs, including Morris Day, Steven Tyler, and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys.

Interestingly enough, Lorne Michaels asked Reese Witherspoon to say the word during her opening monologue on the first show after the September 11 attacks to show that the show would still continue.

However, she refused because she didn't want to poorly influence younger viewers.

Answer: David Spade

Parnell was famously fired before the beginning of the '01-'02 season, and returned midway through the season in March, due to the efforts of friends Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan. Meadows was fired the same way, but hired back before the new season. Belushi was fired in the middle of a season, but rehired the following week.

Answer: True

When Brody announced musical guest Sean Paul, he did so in rasta clothing, and spoke in a Jamaican accent. He did this without getting permission, and Lorne was furious. In all fairness, Lorne had good reason to do this, because of all the risks involved in live TV. Lorne also banned Sinead O'Connor after her demonstration on the show, and Martin Lawrence for making a vulgar and sexist remark.

Answer: Steve Carell

Carell auditioned along with Will Ferrell, but only the latter was hired. When Carell hosted, he made light of this in his monologue, and also made fun of the other members of the Frat Pack (Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Jack Black, Ben Stiller, and Luke and Owen Wilson), most of whom had already hosted or been a cast member on the show.

A number of other people who had unsuccessfully auditioned for the show and returned to host, including Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Geena Davis, Catherine O'Hara, and Jim Carrey.