Classic SNL Auditions

Watch and enjoy this great compilation of audition tapes from some of your favorite classic Saturday Night Live cast members and comedians, like Dan Aykroyd and Dana Carvey!
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[@NondescriptMammal]

Jim Belushi sure does an amazing impression of his brother John.

[@jackmeoff7099]

i think that is john. i wonder if they knew and left it like that lol.. he wasnt much on that show.

[@waynesteffen3262]

I was looking for this comment.

[@goforward8697]

This typo made me unreasonably annoyed

[@pauladouglas9891]

I know it's John!

[@blakeada999]

Well put.

[@poopagore]

Phil Hartman was such a boss. Made for this. Legend will live on forever.

[@MomCatMeows]

Hell yes. Geez, what a national treasure we lost way too soon! 😢❤️

[@thomasdaugherty472]

The man is, in my mind, the most relevant and rock solid NRFPTP to ever perform in that studio. Always delivered the goods.

[@ChrisM-hz1vg]

They told Andy Kaufman to do it again exactly the same if he could and he straight up did it even including his stutters and missteps from the first time. Genius.

[@johnajamian1675]

Graphic says " Jim Belushi" but that was John.

[@tubejohn27]

Hartman’s German celebrity impressions are a slice of quite genius .

[@LiberalsArePoop]

They are fantastic!

[@jallen4458]

@@LiberalsArePoop Oh, and, Hartman was a liberal. But anyway.

[@LiberalsArePoop]

@@jallen4458 yeah, but back then, Liberals weren't unhinged like they are now. I was a Liberal back then.

[@DesertScorpionKSA]

@@jallen4458 And now he's dead.

[@JAI_8]

Phil Hartman is just “next level” good. The German impressions 11:52 … what a beautiful riff on the the typical celebrity impression schtick so many of these comedian guys can do. That bit was really incredible. He was really incredible. What a loss. Gone too soon.

[@SM-bm6jo]

Interesting thing about Phil Hartman as well as Jon Lovitz, they both shined their brightest on SNL because outside SNL other people were writing their lines. Phil Hartman was a waste of talent on Newsradio. I liked the show overall but any sit-com zombie could have played that role.

[@lilacgirl9332]

Exactly what I was thinking

[@GreasyMcNasty]

An impression of a German impressionist doing American impressions is probably the most brilliant thing ever. God I miss Phil. What a talented and amazing individual.

[@thejimmysbuffet]

@@GreasyMcNasty Freaking amazing, unique, smart... and really funny! RIP.

[@Redmenace96]

Wish Hartman had the time to make more movies. He was a master actor, and impeccable timing.

[@icu3869]

I can do any accent just calling out go ahead…..huh?…. Oh I don’t do that one.. (when does it)🤌

[@nathanforester5993]

The guy was tailor made to be a voice actor.

[@skilletman16]

It’s too bad he wasn’t in more movies. I wonder if he’d been in some Adam Sandler movies or at least some funny ensemble movies. He worked well playing in for others.

[@NewYork81983]

Ok I knew Phil Hartman was brilliantly funny but damn, his audition was beyond next level compared to all the rest

[@djdonald243]

Phil was much better than any of the others.

[@icu3869]

Phil Hartman, he could dance, sing, do great impressions and clever original characters- any accent, from any place or time- So gifted, handsome, brilliant, disciplined and kind((According to the few who knew him) He was also known for being “unknowable”, always in character… What a tragic example of how truth is stranger than fiction. hard to imagine or believe such a great man could wed such an incomprehensibly cruel psychotic beauty , who shared, destroyed ,and ended his life. RIP Phil Hartman, Still simply astonishing on every level.

[@bravocharlie639]

@@icu3869 "How" you ask? Hartman's mother was the reason that Phil had such a late start in show biz. You learn EVERYTHING as a child under 5 (isn't that right, Ronald McDonald?) so Hartman picked what he thought he deserved. I'll bet that there were plenty of better matches for him.

[@garygillett440]

@@icu3869 I didn't for one MINUTE find him to be "unknowable", but rather a warm, and wonderful person. We riffed off of each other but the sweetest guy you can imagine. Wife just hated herself; real tragedy. RIP, my friend.

[@kerryklopfstein4260]

Phil Hartman had more talent than most of the SNL casts that have followed him, what a tragic loss.

[@dylanakent]

Phil Hartman was the Elvis of comedy. The natural confidence, talent and SWAGGER was unbelievable. 👑

[@timfarney5165]

He was insanely talented - I thought he was brilliant. I was so distraught when he was killed, I am still shaking my head as I write this....what an unbelievable loss for so many people who admired and loved his talent.

[@jonathanb244]

My gosh Phil Hartman was such an amazing talent. So sad he's not with us anymore.

[@alexandraslibrary]

Phil Hartman’s IQ must have been insanely high. He was incredible.

[@alexandraslibrary]

Richard Brown That too!

[@jsb8504]

@cate ouch!!!!!!!!

[@dylanmartino7975]

Reading my mind

[@bobspence5322]

@Dickie Brown eq is a myth.

[@anthonygibson660]

May have been high when conceived, but to remember all that, gotta se sober & focused. He's sooo damned funny

[@EconAtheist]

Phil was so confident -- dude knew he was the funniest person in the room in almost every single room he ever walked in to.

[@Lucholosabe]

Wow, Phil Hartman was totally in charge of the situation.

[@reynaldogarcia643]

The man was a comedic gem!!!!!😪

[@pts5217]

Lorne could’ve cut Phil Hartman off 20 seconds into his audition “Ok. You’re hired”

[@TheVDaddyo]

Dana Carvey’s impressions are impeccable!! Especially Jimmy Stewart 🤣

[@jacobdehaan4114]

Dan Aykroyd and Phil Hartman's auditions were the best! Such geniuses!

[@richardforgetcanada]

Exactly what I thought.

[@stephanierhodes2313]

I wonder if his UFO story was real, I know he's into UFO stuff.

[@stephanierhodes2313]

Dan Akroyd's story that is.

[@reneegriffith3069]

Canadians. ❤️

[@blakeada999]

Phil definitely put in the most prep and what great work he did…. so much range and linguistic mastery, and Dan was also my favorite. He did a lot of prep, he is so pleasing to listen to. He really made use of an early slip on his first news anchor monologue to switch to a new character and maintain that seamless pace throughout the rest of the audition it seems. His characters are more real than caricature. You can tell he watched so much tv. He is such a naturally curious and passionate person.

[@philosopher1a]

Phil Hartman already looked like he was on SNL doing a skit

[@walshnormandy1605]

the bit with Lovitz was eventually turned into a skit. Lovitz talked about this in his "Fly On The Wall" Phil Hartman tribute episode.

[@zacharyvincent135]

Phil had such a great tv voice

[@jackno7danls]

He did so many characters on the Simpsons.

[@RavenclawNimbus]

@@jackno7danls I’m Troy McLure! You may know me from…

[@savage_skirt5386]

Phil was an incredible talent

[@Ieezeca]

Phil Hartman was so unbelievablly talented.

[@scotts.3089]

The German Jack Benny impersonation was so random and so good.

[@joethomas1146]

Man, the way Danny Aykroyd went seamlessly from character to character without a breath, wow.

[@jacobyjacoby4029]

yea he was epic... Him, Dana, and Hartman were in a league all in their own. Wheres all the woman though? lol Their auditions are hidden.

[@blakeada999]

Ditto, my favorite.

[@Geezer-yf8hv]

Loved Dan! Always thought he was brilliant! Should have achieved even greater success! Not that many roles that really allowed him to shine like he deserved! Like many of these SNL players, they were funniest when they created their own comedy! It was never as funny when they were just reading lines that others wrote!

[@4bibimimi]

He was definitely representing the average UFO spotter or abduction victim. The way he threw in all of the UFO Invasion negatively impacted the crab fishing was just hysterical.😊

[@4bibimimi]

Long time ago Michael Sarrazin guest hosted SNL. He and Dan Aykroyd did a sketch about two US-dwelling French Canadian hockey players who managed to get thrown in the Penalty Box at the same time so they could talk about old times. It seems they grew up together! The Quebecois was very thick!

[@salleyayad9769]

Love Phil Hartman His ending breaks my heart 😢

[@rockmyballsplease]

Hartman could have started that night. I heard a story that he got his start in improv when he went to the show and before the show started the improv actors heard roaring laughter coming from the audience and when they peaked out they saw Hartman who had come to see the show had gotten on stage and began entertaining the crowd. He soon afterwards started performing with them.

[@peartist2]

I heard a story bout a guy who heard a story and became apocryphal

[@boopah4365]

Andy Kauffman was an SNL character himself.

[@tommylakindasorta3068]

I've watched a bunch of these auditions and the funniest thing I've seen is Phil Hartman and Jon Lovitz goofing around together. "What's the word on the street!?"

[@playerthirteen9695]

"You haven't lived till you've pantsed a catatonic cat burglar" Legend RIP

[@Joneedance]

6:32 Dana Carvey does an incredible impression of Shia LaBeouf

[@thetrueman8182]

Also the early versions of garth from what I hear

[@bjones8470]

This is gold. I love the German John Wayne and when Lovitz’s character smells his hand after shaking hands. Thanks for posting

[@MarvinMonroe]

RIP Phil Hartman, the greatest of all time

[@teejay3272]

What gets me is Belushi showing up for the biggest audition of his life with a nose full of blow. That's commitment.

[@dsroaddogg]

Dude was sniffing like a fool. Look up Chevy doing an impression of John blowing his nose (squeak squeeeeeak)

[@briancannon3987]

Who cares. Drugs are common. Most movies we see the actors are on coke. Especially in comedy. Let's move on shall we

[@jonasthemovie]

Why does it say Jim?

[@teejay3272]

@@jonasthemovie Because some goofball responsible for the text has NO freaking idea who one of the biggest starts of the day was.

[@icu3869]

That’s compulsion and addiction, which deserves commitment-of the inpatient sort.

[@bodenlosedosenhose1590]

Hartman's German actually sounds like he was able to speak some.

[@jaybestnz]

The Kaufman audition is so breathtaking. He does a comedy skit, and it is a poem, with every single micro expression identical. It is so creative to think to bring that.

[@reglepage166]

Iv never understood his comedy,until iv seen this.im crying its so funny

[@name-vl7mg]

I didn’t really get what he was doing but it seemed very creative

[@rollomaughfling380]

It's the lyrics to Macarthur Park, a Jimmy Webb song.

[@danejurus69]

He was a total weirdo.

[@MarvinMonroe]

It's lyrics for Macarthur Park, a popular song of the 60s. I dunno, it's like if we watched a Will Forte's audition and he recited some Limp Bizkit or some dumbass song lyrics in a slow voice. Doubt people would call that genius

[@justinhenry6028]

Phil Hartman was always five steps ahead

[@jacobyjacoby4029]

he played chess with bobby Fischer... they use to have tea on 42nd and Washington.

[@JargoniusMaximus]

Well.... not always...

[@nathanforester5993]

I think John Belushi's eyebrow skills are magic and still do, and also Dan is perfect at esentially being a reporter AND a commercial salesman.

[@jeffreycroteau3544]

That was Jim Belushi, read the upper left corner of the screen.

[@markfoster1520]

That was John...good ol' John.....Good to see him again.

[@bravocharlie639]

I agree! I mean; usually the corporate media Anchors only $ell us the news. They leave the rest to someone else.

[@PamelaGrow]

I thought that was my unique talent.

[@odn861]

My dad used to show me clips of John when I was a kid. Both are the reason I have independent eyebrow movement today

[@deborahblackvideoediting8697]

Hard to believe that half of them of gone now. And it's not like they passed recently, they left us while they were still in their prime. So sad. On a more upbeat note, the amount of talent in these clips is absolutely staggering. I'd love to see more SNL auditions.

[@_-7584]

The Lovitz/Hartman duo was a step beyond SNL sketch comedy to improv theater

[@CruceEntertainment]

They were both master thespians lol. Great chemistry

[@jimmylangdon6121]

Hartman's German John Wayne was perfect.

[@EddieReischl]

John Belushi's Brando was really good, but Hartman and Aykroyd are on another level. I'm guessing Danny watched him some Jonathan Winters growing up. Those two made themselves indispensable. They are what SNL needs for performers.

[@twoblacklabs904]

NBC, SNL and Lorne Michaels owes their nearly 50 year success and a huge debt of gratitude to the woefully underrated Second City troops and the enormous cavalcade of household-named comedy stars and greats…

[@davelightsaber1621]

Phil Hartman was A diff Animal Man ...his Talent was on Another level .

[@KurtI2525]

Kaufman's face when someone off-camera laughed at his MacArthur Park "oh no."

[@LaDon08]

Aykroyd and Hartman were relentless with the number of characters and transitions!

[@blakeada999]

Ditto my favorites

[@13strong]

I like watching these knowing that the people in the studio watching weren't supposed to laugh, at Lorne's instruction.

[@steveleaman5343]

Phil Hartman, legend

[@angelorocha709]

Went through all.the auditions. PHIL HARTMAN's audition was beyond incredible. Any one who ever turned that man down was an idiot. What a talent!

[@karsonpalmerswork]

Phil Hartman was hillarous also what a great idea to do impressions in “german” so it doesn’t have to be perfect

[@bravocharlie639]

I disagree. #1. Hartman did Jack Nicholson in German and then again here -> 14:00 Hartman also coukd do a better John Wayne than Marion Morrison ever could BONUS : Hartman''s came without the drinking, beating women and definitely without all that loving (real) war despite the fact that Marion Morrison only fought them in the movies.

[@VDH1953]

@@bravocharlie639 If you'd ever cared to research it, you'd know Wayne made every effort to get himself into WW2 (despite being well into his 30s), but was thwarted by others at every turn. It was the great regret of his life. The rest of your slander is beneath comment. By the way, I agree that the wonderfully talented Phil Hartman was even better for his ability to do the impressions in German.

[@jhern083]

Phil Hartmann can take all the time he'd like from me. RIP

[@alexlandherr]

At 7:14, the Robin Williams impression was quite good.

[@TheLauren800]

agree!!! makes me sad when he says Robin at 70 :(

[@allinfun829]

Andy is on a different level. I think Andy loved it that nobody ever completely got him.

[@joeski734]

He could keep a straight face doing the most cringe-inducing stuff. This clip makes me appreciate his acting ability.

[@kensiblonde4203]

That’s the whole point. He was trolling before trolls. People don’t get it. 😂

[@NocturnalPLUR]

It was terrible

[@bedubz87]

It’s called narcissism. He was over rated. Never could find an art form that worked for him. Not many people who knew him have much nice to say.

[@allinfun829]

@@bedubz87 You are probably one of those wrestling fans down south that he owned.

[@danejurus69]

Phil Hartman was so good.

[@TheKrazysexykool]

Omg, Phil Hartman lit a cigarette INSIDE. I haven't seen that in 20 years.

[@briancannon3987]

Didn't realize garth was an impression of Danas brother

[@LightsCameraActionYT]

Hope you enjoyed the video! If you have a minute, please check out my store: www.teepublic.com/user/belleinconnue

[@chuzzwozzer]

Hi I’m Troy Mclure!! Phil Hartman had such a great voice!

[@JAI_8]

19:38 Jim Belushi’s impression of his brother is flawless, I think we can all agree?

[@Heene1028]

So good, in fact… they gave the job to John!

[@bigtalk2598]

Andy Kauffman, grew up watching him, alwayws perplexed by him. Mensa, went to a top 5 college undergraduate. Never understood how ahead of his time he was. Now at 57, I get it.

[@davidraymer397]

Andy Kaufman was like lightning in a bottle. They probably wondered what they were supposed to do with him, lol. Looks like Dana Carvey was doing his brother Brad when he was Garth on Wayne's World. What an incredible collection of characters Dan Ackroyd did.

[@DunmoresMovieMania]

26:00 -- How ironic that Dan Aykroyd is doing a bit about extraterrestrial aliens.

[@MrSimmies]

Phil Hartman blows away the hacks on SNL. This guy crushed it.

[@13strong]

I wonder if Bryan Cranston and Phil Hartmann ever met.

[@tg6769]

John belushi made me feel the anxiety of all of my coke binges. Felt scary

[@MrSteelermania]

Aykroyd's Tom Snyder impression was hilarious and one that's probably lost in history

[@We_Reddit]

Phil Hartman. What a loss.

[@undericesinger]

Dana created Garth from his brother? Wow

[@crashburn3292]

You could make a solid argument that Aykroyd, Belushi, Hartman and Carvey are 4 of the top 10 funniest SNL cast members ever.

[@walshnormandy1605]

100% agree. any "Mount Rushmore" of SNL *has* to include Aykroyd and Hartman

[@_What_About_Bob]

Not too bad for an album cover designer…. Phil Hartman. But seriously, he was the greatest. RIP

[@sgs1313]

yup, my favorite album when I was younger was America - History: America’s Greatest Hits, had no idea at the time he designed that, Poco Legend and Steely Dan Aja!

[@jimtepin4840]

I honestly think the Phil Hartman years were SNLs finest work.

[@TheDakotaCruiser]

It’s weird seeing all these comedians nervous. SNL was a great launching point for many a great actor

[@SKinSKorea]

Young Andy Kaufman! WOW. . . Loved Dana Carvey, too, but I think of him as Bush (and Perot), Garth, and Church Lady.

[@deniseharman]

Kaufman, Belushi and Hartman are such great losses.

[@BloodInkFilms]

Andy Kaufman didn't blink a single time during the Superman bit. Not once.

[@denisemorrell8212]

Phil huge I fluence of 1930 and 40 s movies. Loved it

[@WarBuch]

Dana Carvey was so nervous! It's so good that Lorne saw something in him because that audition alone wouldn't seal the deal nowadays, but we would've missed out on some amazing characters and impressions!

[@davidbrasfield6720]

I felt like we saw the origin of Garth

[@ZeroESG.goopootoob]

Nope. Not nervous (he surely was) but the nervousness you are seeing is schtick/charm nerves. It was part of his act for the audition to come off as 'cute.'

[@Geezer-yf8hv]

Always been a fan of Dana! He should have had more projects! Very talented!

[@dwaynecoy1871]

@@davidbrasfield6720- you did. Dana has said many times on his recent podcast that Garth was basically his younger brother.

[@dwaynecoy1871]

Well, Lorne did see Dana's stand up act in LA (about an hour), so I"m sure this video didn't add or subtract a whole lot to Dana's chances. BTW, Lorne also brought along Brandon Tartikoff (president of NBC at the time) to see Dana's stand up before hiring him.

[@abbye5841]

RIP Andy Kaufman. SNL wasn't ready for this guy in 1975, no one was. I still don't think we've caught up to him

[@mloftin6472]

I have taught college students for 19 years. There was one young woman in my class about 15 years ago, about 20 years old. She asked the strangest questions and made the weirdest questions. The students and I all thought she was stupid for almost a whole semester. Then I read this brilliant, hilarious answer to a discussion question on a test. It was so bizarre. It finally occurred to me that she was as brilliant as Andy Kaufman, seriously. She had played a character for an entire semester. Amazing.

[@BbGun-lw5vi]

M Loftin That is incredible! Did you ever talk to her about it?

[@MarvinMonroe]

@@mloftin6472 I don't believe a word you wrote. What kind of professor would think a student is stupid for asking offbeat questions?

[@mloftin6472]

@@MarvinMonroe The whole class thought she was weird when she asked those questions. She wa a comic genius. Funniest student I have ever taught. She was great.

[@mloftin6472]

@@BbGun-lw5vi I actually sent her a message via social media a few years later and told her I kept the incredibly funny discussion question answer.

[@assmane999]

Phil Hartman’s interview is just A++++. You can see his amazing versatility and if he didn’t get the role after this it would have been real criminal.

[@JamesBWBevis]

Thanks for making this available. Any chance you can correct the "Jim Belushi" error? That is John Belushi, of course.

[@davidmeichner8346]

Kaufman was unbeatable, and Hartman was the show's best and comedy's best character comedian.

[@MurphyKargesBass]

Phil Hartman = Genius.

[@helipilotuh1]

Phil hartman’s German impression bit is genius.

[@Geezer-yf8hv]

God, this just had me cracking up watching them improving!!

[@davewebbtheauthor]

The first time I ever saw Dana Carvey was when a 1980s sketch comedy show on Nickelodeon called Turkey Television aired parts of his stand-up routines. The bit at 6:28 was one of them. I don't think he's ever mentioned that show before because on his podcast he said he was never on TV before SNL, which wasn't true. I was excited to see him in his first SNL episode because I thought he was hilarious in those few bits that I'd seen on the Nick show.

[@mikes7707]

It seems so awkward to be in that room trying to kill when nobody even gives you a customary chuckle.

[@abrown4green]

Dana Carvey had an amazing audition

[@DLZ2000]

It's a good thing the people at Dana Carvey's audition didn't know Yorkshire is nowhere near London, in location or accent!

[@moaningpheromones]

Yeah. Oh well, comedic licence.

[@Jan-lf5no]

Miss ya Phil....you are a very funny man.

[@katyharley235]

Nothing annoyed me more than when they called JOHN Belushi Jim

[@cjoe5977]

John belushi was also a comedian but that was actually Jim belushi his brother

[@hazmick9104]

I’m pretty sure that was John because at 22:02 you can hear a guy say “John don’t do that again”

[@cjoe5977]

@@jmartin1774 id go ahead and look it up if I were you he does have a brother and they were both comedians

[@wantutosigh1117]

@@cjoe5977 That was John.

[@gordonthomson7533]

@@cjoe5977 hilariously demonstrates he doesn't know much whilst trying to demonstrate he does: a smartarse 😂

[@NevadaBoss]

Phil was the GOAT of SNL cast members..a quarter century later, still impossible to believe what happened to him. rip Troy...

[@adamdesanti6713]

Aykroyd's Southerner UFO sighting monologue and Czech-scientist talking about the geographic column were so good. Man, SNL bringing in Carvey and Hartman in '86 saved the show. Such talents in this video.

[@juliagoolia5604]

Lmao! Andy I love u!!! The second one I couldn’t get thru with a straight face!

[@87prawblems]

Dana Carvey is brilliant.

[@carlosguerra5303]

This video got Belushi's name wrong on the top corner of the video. The audition was John Belushi, not Jim Belushi; John's younger brother was also an actor. Jim Belushi was also on Saturday Night Live, but from around 1983 to 1985.

[@bazzad81]

Little known fact, it was the second of the three Dan Aykroyds that got the part in ghostbusters.

[@generic3674]

Hartman was BY FAR the most prepared.

[@andreklugel6846]

Hartman said, "Space, the last frontier". Any trekki would freak out.

[@Gath8mm]

The great Phil Hartman!!!

[@GatCat]

So Garth was based on Dana’s younger brother Brad.

[@Baneumann66]

Man! Jim Belushi was really great at John impressions!

[@qtpysusie54]

Yes, because it WAS John! No comparison.

[@OysterPir8]

I love Jon Lovitz