Best SNL cast member from each state

Joe Piscopo (New Jersey)

Growing up in New Jersey, Joe Piscopo developed a reputation from his drama classes for never playing a character according to the script. After school, he entered a stand-up comedy career, despite the insistence of his mother to become a lawyer like his father. His gamble paid off, as just a short time later in 1980, he was cast as a contract player on Saturday Night Live.

Piscopo’s casting came at a rough time for the series, as all of the major producers, writers, and cast of the show had just left. Trying to restart the series from scratch was very challenging for the network, and all of the new cast had failed to catch on with the masses except for two actors. These would be Piscopo and Eddie Murphy; the rest of the newcomers were replaced at the end of the season.

After Piscopo left SNL in 1984, he was never able to achieve the same level of success. However, his tenure on the sketch comedy series was still very strong and he had several recurring characters which were beloved by fans of the show. His most memorable role would probably be that of the rhyming sportscaster on the Weekend Update news segments.

Next: New York