Best SNL cast member from each state
By Jeremy Dick
Dana Carvey (Montana)
Born to two schoolteachers in Montana, Dana Carvey was destined to be a star. He had a few bit roles in film and TV at the start of his career, before soon being cast on Saturday Night Live in 1986. At the time, the series had been declining in popularity, and Carvey is credited with helping to revitalize the show once again with fellow newcomers Kevin Nealon, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, and Victoria Jackson.
Carvey’s best celebrity impressions have been of political figures like George Bush and Ross Perot, but he’s really well-known for his original SNL characters. Perhaps his most prominent is The Church Lady, the smug host of Church Chat based on women Carvey knew from church who’d keep track of everyone else’s attendance. A couple other of his memorable characters would be Hans of Hans and Franz, and the Grumpy Old Man.
His biggest character would certainly be the long-haired drummer Garth Algar, however. With Mike Myers as Wayne, the two appeared in “Wayne’s World” segments about two metalheads hosting their own public-access television program. The sketches later were made into two feature films, which were both very funny and have since become cult classics.
Next: New Hampshire