Woody Harrelson is set to be the next host of Saturday Night Live on February 25, 2023. It'll be a special show for Harrelson, as it will be the actor's fifth time hosting the late-night NBC sketch show. This means that Harrelson will be joining a small but prestigious group of individuals who have hosted Saturday Night Live five or more times throughout the years.
Oftentimes, a host's fifth time on the show comes with a lot of fanfare and surprises for the audience in the studio and at home. Other than Paul Rudd, who made his Five-Timer debut during the pandemic, many members of the Five-Timers Club receive quite a celebratory episode in their honor. Over the years, these Five-Timers are some of the show's best.
10 John Mulaney
John Mulaney is the most recent and one of the quickest hosts to make it to the Five-Timers Club. The stand-up comedian got his start as a writer on the show during the 2000s and 2010s, becoming the scribe behind popular characters like Bill Hader's Stefon. It wasn't until well into the 2010s that Mulaney transitioned from off-screen writer to on-screen host.
Mulaney's five times hosting as of 2022 have consisted of many sketches he never got on the show when he was a writer. Some of these include now-iconic sketches like Diner Lobster and Sitcom Reboot. Diner Lobster has since been reprised with many New York City-based sketches parodying popular Broadway musicals, such as Subway Churro and Airport Sushi.
9 Scarlett Johansson
Actress Scarlett Johansson hosted SNL for the first time in 2006, becoming a recurring host alongside her string of blockbuster performances throughout the 2010s. In 2017, she made her Five-Timers Club debut with musical guest Lorde, with sketches that featured her playing Ivanka Trump as well as one where she plays a translator for a miserable talking dog.
Between her fifth time and sixth time in 2019, Johansson officially became a member of the SNL family by marrying Weekend Update co-anchor Colin Jost. This was commemorated in her sixth episode, which featured a monologue parodying the events of Avengers: Infinity War with cast members being turned to dust as Johansson tries to save them.
8 Melissa McCarthy
Melissa McCarthy hosted five times throughout the 2010s, becoming one of the show's most hilarious hosts in the show's history. Her bread-and-butter was playing wacky, detailed characters in sketches that consisted of improv between her and fellow castmates. However, her appearances during the Trump era were some of her most high-profile yet.
As a surprise during a 2017 Kristen Stewart episode, McCarthy made her debut as Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary for Donald Trump. She reprised the role several times leading up to her 2017 hosting gig with musical guest HAIM, which inducted her into the 5-Timers Club with cameos from fellow club members Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.
7 Tina Fey
Tina Fey was originally hired by Saturday Night Live as a writer in 1997, before making her debut as a cast member in 2000. She became notable for co-anchoring the Weekend Update desk alongside Jimmy Fallon, then Amy Poehler. After leaving SNL, she stayed close to home by starring in the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, centered on an NYC-based sketch series.
Due to her closeness to NBC, Fey made frequent returns over the years, especially with her impression of Sarah Palin. By 2015, Tina Fey had officially become a Five-Timer during an episode co-hosted with Amy Poehler. The episode featured Bruce Springsteen as the musical guest, with Paul McCartney joining for a last song during the goodbyes.
6 Justin Timberlake
Few SNL hosts have created quite a pop-cultural impact as Justin Timberlake. The former *NSYNC member hosted for the first time in 2003, pulling double duty as a musical guest. However, it was his second time on the show in 2006 where he co-starred with Andy Samberg in the holiday-themed Digital Short, "D**k in a Box."
In later hosting gigs, Timberlake reprised his "D**k in a Box" characters alongside Samberg, in 2009 with the Mother's Day tune "Motherlover," and in 2011 with the Lady Gaga-assisted "3-Way (The Golden Rule)". He hosted the show twice in 2013, with the first time earning him entry into the 5-Timers Club, complete with cameos from many SNL greats.
5 Drew Barrymore
Though Drew Barrymore hosted plenty of times in her adulthood, she also holds the record of the youngest person to host Saturday Night Live. In 1982, she hosted the show at only 7 years old following her role in the Steven Spielberg film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. She subsequently hosted the program in 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007, and 2009.
Her hosting gig in 2007 alongside musical guest Lily Allen was what earned her a 5-Timers robe. She later cameoed during Jonah Hill's Five-Timers entry episode alongside fellow club members Tina Fey and Candice Bergen. Despite having six hosting gigs under her belt, her residency as a talk show host on NBC should get her another appearance sometime soon.
4 Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin hosted SNL for the first time in 1990 and has returned to the show a whopping 17, becoming the host with the most appearances in the show's history. He achieved the tough-to-obtain Five-Timers Club entry in 1994, alongside the Beastie Boys as musical guests. His most recent spot on the show was in 2017 alongside Ed Sheeran.
Though Baldwin has hosted the show many times, he's also made frequent cameo appearances, particularly with his impression of Donald Trump from 2016 to 2020. He's also frequently cameoed for other new members of the Five-Timers Club, often handing them their signature robe.
3 Tom Hanks
The iconic actor behind Forrest Gump and Toy Story first hosted Saturday Night Live in 1985, securing his place in the Five-Timers Club in 1990. It was during this appearance that the concept of the Five-Timers Club was first introduced, with Hanks being welcomed into the secret society by Steve Martin, Paul Simon, and Elliott Gould.
The first Five-Timers Club sketch also featured a cameo by then-writer Conan O'Brien as an attendant at the club. Hanks has continued to make plenty of appearances on the show as both host and as a cameo, most recently alongside host and musical guest Jack Harlow in 2022, where he also reprised his now-iconic character of David S. Pumpkins.
2 Paul Simon
In the 1960s, Paul Simon rose to fame in a musical duo with Art Garfunkel, before the two split, and he went on to have a successful solo career throughout the 70s. This career coincided with the start of Saturday Night Live, with Paul Simon making his hosting debut in the show's second episode in 1975, with musical guests Randy Newman and Phoebe Snow.
Simon returned to host in 1976, 1986, and 1987, curiously not fulfilling the quota of hosting the show five times. However, Simon appeared as a musical guest on the program eight times, making him an honorary member. He's appeared in two of the Five-Timers Club sketches, for both Tom Hanks and Justin Timberlake in their fifth episodes.
1 Steve Martin
Steve Martin is just behind Alec Baldwin's record, having hosted 16 times from 1976 to 2022. He entered the Five-Timers Club in 1978, only three years after the show's debut in 1975. Though he was never a cast member, Martin has been closely associated with early cast members, working closely with comics like Chevy Chase, Martin Short, and Eddie Murphy.
Steve Martin's most recent hosting gig was in 2022 alongside his Only Murders in the Building co-star Martin Short. He's also one of the more frequent guests during the introduction of new Five-Timers members, as one of the club's senior residents. Steve Martin's history with SNL is far from over, as proven by his still close connection to the show.