Throughout the five seasons Gilda Radner was on “Saturday Night Live,” she brought characters to life that are still treasured and laughed at today. As the first Jewish cast member on “SNL” (and the first cast member period), Radner’s creations continue to inspire comedians over half a century later.
Her most iconic personas range from an eager young girl to a loud Weekend Update reporter with frizzy hair and an elderly woman. Fan favorites include Roseanne Roseannadanna, energetic Girl Scout Judy Miller, and Emily Litella, a hard-of-hearing older woman known for incessant rants about misunderstood news topics, always concluding with her iconic catchphrase: “Never mind.”
Author and sketch comedy chronicler Jason Klamm said Radner’s characters all brought a unique angle to comedy. He especially admires her characters that feel like she is channeling her inner child, he said.
“Everybody goes to this one character, and the same clip of her, which is Roseanne Rosannadanna,” Klamm said. “I do think they are very emotive and very like, evocative characters that feel so real.”
Here are five “SNL” skits of Radner’s most popular characters:
Rosanne Roseannadanna
Judy Miller Show
Emily Litella
Rhonda Weiss
Nerd Prom
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Gilda Radner and her five most iconic ‘SNL’ roles
Reporting by Kaitlyn Luckoff, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kaitlyn Luckoff, Special to The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
