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 newest member inducted as a host occurred when SNL Season 49 host and former cast member Kristen Wiig hosted on April 6, 2024. The most recent inductee for musical guest appearances, occurring on January 27, 2024, was Justin Timberlake who is already a member for his five hosting gigs.
The club has been referenced numerous times in the monologues of subsequent inductees and in more sketches that take place in the lounge. The most recent return to the prestigious backstage club was in 2022 when John Mulaney joined and was welcomed in by the likes of Tina Fey, Elliott Gould, Candice Bergen and more, with some encouragement from former SNL writer Conan O'Brien, who was actually in the first Five-Timers Club sketch.
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.
| Host | First Gig | Fifth Gig | Total Gigs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alec Baldwin | April 21, 1990 | December 10, 1994 | 17 |
| Steve Martin | October 23, 1976 | April 22, 1978 | 17 |
| John Goodman | December 2, 1989 | May 7, 1994 | 13 |
| Tom Hanks | December 14, 1985 | December 8, 1990 | 10 |
| Buck Henry | January 17, 1976 | November 19, 1977 | 10 |
| Elliott Gould | January 10, 1976 | February 6, 1980 | 6 |
| Chevy Chase | February 18, 1978 | November 16, 1985 | 8 |
| Candice Bergen | November 8, 1975 | May 19, 1990 | 5 |
| Danny DeVito | May 15, 1982 | January 9, 1993 | 6 |
| Bill Murray | May 7, 1981 | February 20, 1999 | 5 |
| Christopher Walken | January 20, 1990 | May 19, 2001 | 7 |
| Drew Barrymore | November 20, 1992 | February 3, 2007 | 6 |
| Justin Timberlake | October 11, 2003 | March 9, 2013 | 5 |
| Ben Affleck | February 19, 2000 | May 18, 2013 | 5 |
| Tina Fey | February 23, 2008 | December 19, 2015 | 6 |
| Scarlett Johansson | January 14, 2006 | March 11, 2017 | 6 |
| Melissa McCarthy | October 11, 2011 | May 13, 2017 | 5 |
| Dwayne Johnson | March 18, 2000 | May 20, 2017 | 5 |
| Jonah Hill | March 15, 2008 | November 3, 2018 | 5 |
| Will Ferrell | May 14, 2005 | November 23, 2019 | 5 |
| Paul Rudd | November 15, 2008 | December 18, 2021 | 5 |
| John Mulaney | April 14, 2018 | February 26, 2022 | 5 |
| Woody Harrelson | November 18, 1989 | February 23, 2023 | 5 |
| Emma Stone | October 23, 2010 | December 2, 2023 | 5 |
| Kristen Wiig | May 11, 2013 | April 6, 2024 | 5 |
| Musical Guest | First Gig | Fifth Gig | Total Gigs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Simon | October 18, 1975 | May 10, 1986 | 15 |
| Foo Fighters | December 2, 1995 | October 13, 2007 | 9 |
| Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | November 10, 1979 | November 19, 1994 | 8 |
| Coldplay | April 7, 2001 | May 3, 2014 | 8 |
| Beck | January 11, 1987 | April 16, 2005 | 7 |
| Eminem | October 23, 1999 | December 18, 2010 | 7 |
| Kanye West | October 5, 2005 | May 18, 2013 | 7 |
| Randy Newman | October 18, 1975 | December 6, 1986 | 6 |
| James Taylor | September 18, 1976 | December 14, 1991 | 6 |
| Miley Cyrus | October 5, 2013 | April 25, 2020 | 6 |
| Arcade Fire | February 24, 2007 | May 7, 2022 | 5 |
| Maroon 5 | February 21, 2004 | October 4, 2014 | 5 |
| Rihanna | December 5, 2009 | May 16, 2015 | 5 |
| Sting | October 17,1987 | November 20, 1999 | 5 |
| Taylor Swift | January 10, 2009 | November 13, 2021 | 5 |
| Jack White | October 19, 2002 | February 23, 2023 | 5 |
| Justin Timberlake | October 11, 2003 | January 27, 2024 | 5 |
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.
