Saturday Night Live has given us 50 years of laughs—but for its cast, fame has been a mixed blessing.

When Saturday Night Live debuted in 1975 with a cast of relative unknowns, few could have predicted just what a phenomenon it would become—or the dizzying highs and tragic lows that its cast members would face in the years that followed. While the show has been a source of countless laughs, it’s also provided mixed blessings to its stars…to the point where many have speculated that it’s just straight up cursed.

Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd comically grimace at the camera in Los Angeles in February of 1986

When Saturday Night Live debuted in 1975 with a cast of relative unknowns, few could have predicted just what a phenomenon it would become—or the dizzying highs and tragic lows that its cast members would face in the years that followed. While the show has been a source of countless laughs, it’s also provided mixed blessings to its stars…to the point where many have speculated that it’s just straight up cursed.


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