Monday night’s premiere of “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” might have been nerve-racking for the former “Saturday Night Live” cast member, but it also had to be a bit of a relief. Since leaving “SNL” in 2003 on a wave of goodwill and buzz that the boyishly handsome charmer could be the next big thing, Fallon has struggled through a series forgettable comedies (“Taxi”).
Now he’s settling into a seat made warm by no less than David Letterman and Conan O’Brien. High expectations, yes. But just to sit behind that desk for a week puts him in the most exclusive of company. No sweat, Jimmy, as of Monday night, all your post “SNL” expectations have been fulfilled.
But what about the rest of “SNL’s” Class of 2003? How are they holding up?
Tina Fey
No longer on “SNL,” Fey starred in the 2008 comedy “Baby Mama” with fellow “SNL” alum Amy Poehler and wrote and co-starred in “Mean Girls.” Fey scored an Emmy trifecta last year as star, writer and producer of “30 Rock,” her current project.
Rachel Dratch
Even though she was replaced as part of the regular cast of “30 Rock” before it premiered with Jane Krakowski, Dratch has appeared on 11 episodes of the show. She is in demand for voice work; currently she’s appearing onstage in Los Angeles in the Center Theatre Group’s “Minsky’s.”
Will Forte
Still an “SNL” regular, Forte’s other projects have included writing for “That ’70s Show” and roles on TV shows including “30 Rock” and “Flight of the Conchords.” He also has done voice work for film and TV and has appeared in some films.
Darrell Hammond
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Hammond holds the record for longest consecutive tenure of any “SNL” cast member, the most impressions (104) and the most times starting off the show with “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!” He appeared on Broadway in 2007, and in a darker turn, is playing a killer for hire on “Damages.”
Chris Parnell
Parnell left “SNL” in 2006. He has worked steadily in TV and movies, with a recurring role on “30 Rock” and co-starring in ABC’s “Miss Guided.” His movie credits over the last few years include “Anchorman,” “Walk Hard,” “Hot Rod” and the independent feature “The Grand.”
Amy Poehler
After leaving “SNL” in 2008, Poehler gave birth to a son, Archie. She stars in NBC’s upcoming comedy “Parks and Recreation.” Earlier, Poehler appeared on “Arrested Development” (her husband Will Arnett’s defunct show) and in the movies “Blades of Glory” and “Baby Mama.”
Finesse Mitchell
After leaving “SNL” in 2006, Mitchell starred in the film “Who’s Your Caddy” and released a DVD of his stand-up comedy, “Snap Famous.” In 2007 he released the book “Your Girlfriends Only Know So Much: A Brother’s Take on Dating and Mating for Sistas.”
Maya Rudolph
Rudolph left the show in 2007 and has been playing mom to daughter Pearl with her boyfriend, writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson. Rudolph has been in four episodes of “Kath & Kim” and returned to “SNL” in November to play Michelle Obama.
Fred Armisen
Armisen is still on “SNL,” but that hasn’t stopped him from taking on several extracurricular activities. He can be seen in cult projects such as Flaming Lips movie “Christmas on Mars” and more mainstream fare such as “The Rocker” and ” Baby Mama.”
Jeff Richards
Most notable projects since leaving “SNL” in 2004 include “Sheep Man,” a film he wrote and starred in, and MTV’s short-lived “Where My Dogs At?” cartoon. He’s set to host an upcoming benefit to help fight world hunger at the Comedy Store.
Keenan Thompson
Thompson remains with “SNL,” doing characters such as DJ Dynasty Handbag and impersonations of Star Jones and Bill Cosby. He has done some film and voice-over work.
Seth Meyers
Meyers is still on “SNL” but has appeared in “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” during his downtime.
Horatio Sanz
Sanz, who exited “SNL” in 2007, will appear in the upcoming ABC series “In the Motherhood,” which debuts March 26.