For many years, Bill Hader was one of the undisputed kings of Saturday Night Live. The talented comedian and impressionist achieved several milestones that now sit within the history of the sketch show, including having one of the highest total number of sketch appearances. After last weekend’s episode, however, it looks like the king has to move over: there’s a new queen in town, and her name is Kate McKinnon.
SNL vet Kate McKinnon now sits in sixth place all-time when it comes to skit appearances, per Deadline. She now outranks Bill Hader, who previously held the spot and is now sitting pretty in seventh place. According to the trade, last weekend’s episode of the show, hosted by John Mulaney, feature McKinnon’s 806th sketch on the show, which gave her an edge over Hader’s tally of 805. Add in the fact that she’s been flitting in and out of 30 Rock to star in other movies this season, and it just makes her achievement all the more impressive.
The sketch that secured the star's spot was another installment in John Mulaney’s series of musical parody skits, which skewer New York’s signature inconveniences. This time, it was the dreaded F local train, which may or not be stopping at your station ,and the questionable churros that may be sold on the platform. The Ghostbusters star assumed the role of “a puddle of unidentifiable origin” that slowly but surely ruins your shoes.
Playing a gross puddle may not be what Kate McKinnon had in mind when she originally joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2012 (and yes, that is indeed a full decade ago, and time is an illusion), but that’s just an indication of her comedic genius. She started out on the show as a featured member, but her improv chops and spot-on impressions quickly convinced the producers to promote her to main cast member status after just one season.
The actress has played a bevy of memorable characters, many of whom reside in the political sphere. Her impersonation of Hillary Clinton became even more legendary than SNL vet Amy Poehler’s, and she’s also cracked up audiences with likenesses of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Fox News pundit Laura Ingraham. She’s also lampooned celebrities like pop singer Justin Bieber, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, and actress Jane Lynch. Her impersonation abilities could arguably be what landed her a gig playing Carole Baskin on Peacock's Joe vs. Carole.
It was rumored a while back that Kate McKinnon might be leaving SNL but, so far, those whispers have been unfounded. Lucky us - hopefully, we’ll get to enjoy her bizarre brand of hilarious comedy for another 806 skits. And as she continues, she'll further cement herself amongst the show's other greats like Bill Hader.
The current season of Saturday Night Live is now airing on NBC on - you guessed it - Saturdays at 11:30 pm EST. You can also catch up with previous seasons, including episodes from the 80s and 90s, with your Peacock subscription, or check out more movies that feature Kate McKinnon.
