The best 'Saturday Night Live' cast members of the 2000s

Hammond spans generations, and is the only member of this list that also appeared on our best of the ‘90s list. He started in 1995, a year with a lot of new cast members, and was on the show all the way until 2009. Hammond’s 14 seasons are the second-most in “SNL” history. He also is probably the best pure impressionist the show has ever had.

Do you want somebody to play the straight man in a sketch but have him do it so well that it heightens the comedy? Parnell could do that. Do you want somebody to appear sane but actually be totally deranged? Well, Parnell could do that as well. If you remember him as Dr. Spaceman from “30 Rock,” you know that few people do the “insanity in a sensible package” style of character better than Parnell, who was on “SNL” for eight seasons.

Dratch is a real sketch performer in terms of her skill set. Speaking of "30 Rock," there’s a reason why she appeared as different characters throughout the first season or so. Yeah, she did a lot of broad characters on “Saturday Night Live,” but they were often funny. Plus, she was Debbie Downer, who ended up becoming one of the “SNL” characters that entered the lexicon.

Fey’s greatest contribution to “SNL” was as a writer, including as the head writer. She began her career performing for The Second City, though, and could work in a sketch if called upon. In the end, though, she became most associated with being a “Weekend Update” anchor. Oh, and also for playing Sarah Palin, because she can do more than be a delivery vector for clever topical jokes.

Fey and Poehler are associated with one another, as the longtime friends co-hosted “Weekend Update” for a while, and also because they made multiple movies together. Also, they both starred in NBC sitcoms. That being said, while Fey is very funny, when it comes to performing Poehler is something akin to comedy royalty. Be it improv or sketch, Poehler was not just talented, but influential. She’s an all-time “SNL” cast member.

By his own admission, Meyers wasn’t the best sketch performer. He still ended up spending 13 seasons on “Saturday Night Live.” How did that happen? And how did he make this list? Well, he took over as head writer, for one. Second, though, he grabbed a seat as a “Weekend Update” host and actually, upon being told Lorne Michaels and company only wanted him back as a writer, he told them he’d only return to do that if he also got to keep hosting “Update.” He got that role, and thus a 13-year run came to fruition. It makes all the sense in the world, then, that Meyers would follow “SNL” by becoming a late-night host, where he can do what he does best: Be Seth Meyers.

There’s a reason why Rudolph and Martin Short got a short-lived, old-school variety show. She’s perfect for that sort of thing. Rudolph is a talented singer and can be quite funny as herself, but she’s a fantastic sketch performer. She handled impressions with gusto and also brought memorable original characters to the table. When she hosts “SNL,” you can pretty much lock her into an Emmy nomination for guest actress, and rightfully so.

Forte is responsible for some of the weirdest sketches of the 2000s. Somehow, he helped turn MacGruber into not only a recurring sketch, but a full-on feature-length film. Forte’s sketches weren’t for everybody, but he was always committed, and he never bailed. No matter how weird it got, Forte would go for it.

In hindsight (and also if we’re being honest, even at the time) it was not advisable that “SNL” would effectively say, “Well, Armisen is Latino, Korean, and white, let’s have him play whatever minority we need covered.” That being said, he ended up spending 11 seasons on the show, and he did more than play Barack Obama. Armisen is a sketch comedian and a musician at heart, and he has managed to combine those two loves to build a remarkable career. After all, in addition to “SNL,” he and Carrie Brownstein had their own sketch show, “Portlandia,” where Armisen got to really embrace his sensibilities.

We should also shout out Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer here. While Samberg was the “SNL” cast member, their trio — The Lonely Island — helped change the show. Pre-taped short films were not new to “Saturday Night Live,” but the era of the digital short emerged thanks to The Lonely Island. Once “Lazy Sunday” went viral – thanks to the fact stuff could actually go viral due to the internet – the show would never be the same. Also, Samberg was good in sketches and stuff.

Samberg was a 2005 addition who made a major impact on “SNL,” but it was through innovation. Wiig made a major impact by becoming, and quickly at that, a superstar on the show. She is, for many, an all-time great, maybe the all-time great. Wiig spent several fantastic seasons on the show, and was so beloved and so baked into the DNA of “SNL” that she got one of the biggest sendoffs any cast member has ever gotten.

Hader is the last of the 2005 trinity that really shook up “SNL.” Now that he’s delivered “Barry” into the world, maybe Hader the sketch comedian is not front and center any longer, but if you think about his time on “SNL” for even a couple seconds, you’ll remember just how funny he was. He is probably the best cast member of the new millennium. Hader was a fantastic impressionist on the show, and brought impressions to the table few people would even think of, but also excelled at character work in a variety of ways. Plus, few “Weekend Update” desk characters have had the impact of Stefon.

Sudeikis was also added to “SNL” in 2005, and we aren’t knocking him. He spent nine seasons on the show, longer than Samberg, Wiig, or Hader. Obviously, we didn’t include him on this list begrudgingly. He was very good on the show. He also just happened to join the show alongside two generational talents and a guy who helped change the future of sketch comedy. So, you know, a tough crowd to keep pace with.

Kenan Thompson IS sketch comedy. He was a cast member on “All That” on Nickelodeon as a kid. Then, in 2003, and by that time a grown man, Thompson joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live.” He’s still there. Thompson is, by far, the longest-tenured “SNL” cast member. He’s the only one over 15 seasons, much less over 20 seasons. The dude has given his life to sketch comedy, and we are better off for it.