Best SNL cast member from each state
By Jeremy Dick
Darrell Hammond (Florida)
If you’ve been watching Saturday Night Live for a while, you’ll recognize Darrell Hammond. Appearing on the sketch comedy series from 1995 to 2009, Hammond is still the longest-serving cast member in the history of the show. During that time, he set the record for the most celebrity impersonations with an outstanding 107, and held it until Kenan Thompson recently surpassed that number.
Hammond was originally born in Florida, eventually graduating from the University of Florida there in 1978. Soon after, he moved to New York and worked as a waiter, while also taking some theater classes and experimenting with stand-up comedy. He’d wind up returning to Florida to become a voiceover artist before finally landing his career-changing gig on Saturday Night Live.
Not only is Hammond known to SNL fans for his incredible impressions of celebrities like Sean Connery, Donald Trump, and Bill Clinton, his voice can now be heard regularly on the program. When Don Pardo, the previous announcer for SNL, died in 2014, Hammond took over with his own voice work. Considering his experience, both as a professional voiceover artist and as the actor with the longest ever tenure on the series, I couldn’t possibly pick a better choice for a replacement.
Next: Georgia