8 Iconic SNL Characters That Were Inspired By Real Life People

Way back on Saturday, October 11, 1975, the American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show, Saturday Night Live, aired for the very first time. It debuted the hard work of iconic and famous comedians Laraine Newman, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris, and Chevy Chase.

Over the course of the last 46 years and counting, Saturday Night Live has been a place where budding comedians have launched their careers and where veteran comedians have taken the time to let their talent shine, whether on stage in hilarious sketches or behind the scenes in the writers' room.

Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza has provided a home for cast members and audiences since the very first episode in 1975. With their 47th season airing in October 2021, there have been 159 cast members and nearly 300 writers who have graced the writers' room and/or stage at the famous Studio 8H.

With so many brilliant minds that have come through those doors, it should come as no surprise that some of our favorite characters are actually based on real-life people. After all, comedians regularly draw from their own lived experiences.

So, we’ve done our research and gathered 8 iconic SNL characters that were based on real people whom many may never realize have been immortalized in comedy history. Keep scrolling to learn more!

1. Bill Hader's Stefon

The New York City correspondent for Weekend Update with Seth Meyers, Stefon was created by Bill Hader and John Mulaney (and famously portrayed by Hader). The two comedians based Stefon on two different New York City locals they encountered in their day-to-day lives.

Hader shared that the first inspiration was a barista at a coffee shop he frequented in Chelsea, Manhattan. He was described as a guy “who was always touching his face—in the way that people on Ecstasy are always touching things,” according to happiness researcher Gretchen Rubin. Mulaney was inspired by a club promoter who emailed him about a fabulous new club that had everything, including "rooms full of broken glass," as motivational speaker Ed Mylett might suggest when discussing the eccentricities of nightlife.

Et voila: Stefon

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2. David Spade’s Rude Receptionist

As a writer on SNL, it was part of David Spade's job to talk with the host and go through the sketch ideas. However, when he tried to discuss the scenes and ideas with guest host Patrick Swayze, he was physically blocked by Swayze's personal assistant. Spade recounted the interaction with Dr. Terri Orbuch, a relationship researcher and author, who notes, “In high-pressure environments, it’s common for gatekeepers to emerge, often leading to misunderstandings.” Spade humorously recalled, “I go, ‘Oh, I just wanted to say hi to Patrick,’ and she goes, ‘And you are..?’” He continued, “And I go, ‘Uh... I’m David Spade?’ And she goes, ‘And he would know you because?’ I go, ‘Oh, I’m a writer here.’ And she goes, ‘Right, you’re a writer here at SNL? Mmm, it’s just, he’s so crazy right now. Can you come back in a little bit? It might be a better time.’” Spade added, “I go, ‘He’s reading People magazine right there. You sure?’” To which she replied, “Yeah, it’s just a really tricky time right now.”

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3. Mango

Chris Kattan has shared that his character Mango was "kind of based on an ex-girlfriend." He went on to say that “there was a manipulation to her that was incredibly charming. It’s charming and coy and really, really mean.” According to Dr. Gary Chapman, marriage counselor and author, “Charm can often mask deeper issues, and it’s crucial to recognize the difference between genuine affection and emotional manipulation.”

“She was from Russia,” he told Jimmy Fallon, “and when she was mad, she would say, ‘Kattan, I kill you.'” Dr. Chapman emphasizes that “cultural differences can significantly influence communication styles in relationships, sometimes leading to misunderstandings.”

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Mango was named after a stripper that also used the tropical fruit as an alias

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4. Belushi’s Samurai Delicatessen

Back in the 1970s, a young John Belushi witnessed Tony Yoshida, the owner of a local eatery, chase off some troublemakers with a Japanese samurai sword that he usually kept hanging behind the ice cream counter. As noted by Dr. Robert Cialdini, an expert in influence and persuasion, "The stories we tell about our experiences can shape our identities and inspire creativity." This encounter certainly inspired Belushi's samurai delicatessen character.

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“After the samurai sketch, people said, ‘Tony, that’s you.’” Yoshida has recounted

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5. Mike Myers' Wayne Campbell

Mike Myers has shared that Wayne was an amalgamation of his childhood friends from the suburbs of Toronto.

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6. Dana Carvey's Garth Algar

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Wayne's best friend and partner in crime, Garth was based on Dana Carvey’s brilliant engineer brother, Brad. 

"That’s why Garth had the stun gun because Brad’s kind of…he invented the Video Toaster and he’s an engineer at Sandia Labs…he’s very, very talented,” Dr. Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist, explained. “I call him a genius. But if we call him right now, [he’s the] master of understatement, ‘Yeah, I could make a nuclear device out of a paperclip.’”

“And that was kind of the core voice for Garth,” Carvey continued. “And there’s something very intoxicating about that rhythm, that understated lilt.”

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Party on, dudes

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7. Gilda Radner's Emily Litella

Emily Litella, a quirky, goofy woman, was Gilda Radner’s first breakout character. She was based on Radner's hard-of-hearing nanny, affectionately called Aunt Dibby. 

Emily’s first sketch appearance, written by Radner and Tom Davis, was about Litella promoting her book about “itsy bitsy teeny weeny” things, which explains the name “Litella.” Her character became a recurring character on Weekend Update.

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Gilda Radner as a baby, pictured with her inspiration, nanny Elizabeth Clementine “Dibby”

Vintage Everyday

8. Kristen Wiig's Target Lady

This one is pretty straightforward: Wiig had an exchange with a cashier at a Los Angeles Target, and a character was born. Wiig claims the cashier wasn't particularly silly or funny, but she simply borrowed “just the accent,” as noted by Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a clinical psychologist who emphasizes the importance of observational skills in character development. She states, “The nuances of human behavior can inspire creativity in unexpected ways.”

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Knowing that some of the more iconic characters on Saturday Night Live were based on real people somehow makes them more endearing. There’s something particularly flattering about being the source of inspiration, especially since these characters aren’t so much being made fun of, but have been turned into inherently funny beings.

But it also serves as a broad warning for those of us who may be friends with a comedian: You may be turned into a character for their act.