SNL cast members who only lasted one season

Though he may not be immediately recognizable today, Anthony Michael Hall was once one of Hollywood’s biggest rising stars. Hall earned a reputation as a “geek” actor excellence thanks to the cast of John Hughes classics like The Breakfast Club and Weird Science. Not wanting to be typecast as a “brooding bright kid,” however, Hall joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” for the 1985-86 season. Surprisingly, the budding actor was only 17 when he landed the gig, making him the youngest cast member to ever appear on the show — “and probably one of the least funny,” Hall later joked in an interview with Jam.

Along with a crew of newcomers, Hall was recruited onto an “SNL” series that attempted to reinvent itself in the midst of disaster. The previous season was riddled with a writer’s strike, possible cancellation and all cast members being kicked out after the season finale. As such, Hall was one of the many versatile actors brought in to form a skeletal cast that was sent out at the end of a notoriously unforgettable season.

“It was a far more competitive and aggressive environment than I anticipated,” Hall told The Dead Zone. “But there are also people who can handle it well who thrive there. In my year there, I didn’t have any standout characters and I didn’t really do the things I dreamed I would do, but I still learned a lot and I appreciate that.”