Asked in a May 12-15 Morning Consult survey whether they had a favorable or unfavorable view of the current “SNL” cast, U.S. adults were most likely to recognize the names of Kenan Thompson and Pete Davidson, followed by Kate McKinnon.
Thompson, who came aboard in 2003 and is the longest-tenured cast member in the show’s history, had a TV career before “SNL,” while Davidson’s rising star could be due to his predilection for high-profile romances, along with his starring role in the semi-autobiographical 2020 film, “The King of Staten Island.”
Adults were less aware of other longtime cast members such as Cecily Strong and Beck Bennett, while this season’s new featured players -- Lauren Holt, Andrew Dismukes and Punkie Johnson -- ranked at the bottom of the list.
In satirizing the Trump administration, “SNL” often turned to a stable of notable guest stars, including Alec Baldwin as Trump, Ben Stiller as Michael Cohen and Matt Damon as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which at times took the spotlight off the ensemble and may have contributed to respondents’ low awareness of some cast members, particularly newer players, according to Nick Marx, co-editor of the book, “Saturday Night Live & American TV.”
With the 2020 presidential election cycle over and people seemingly less interested in politics, “I think a lot of newer cast members are having to introduce themselves to audiences this spring,” Marx said, citing Heidi Gardner and Bowen Yang as cast members who have recently seen more airtime.
The public may be aware of “SNL’s” current players, but the ensemble has much ground to make up before it resonates with audiences like the show’s most popular casts.
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