Which comedian served as Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update anchor from 1994 to 1997?

Norm Macdonald served as Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update anchor from 1994 to 1997.

Macdonald joined Saturday Night Live as a cast member in 1993 and took over the Weekend Update desk in 1994. He became known for a deliberately dry delivery, blunt punch lines, celebrity impressions, and a style that often sounded more like a skeptical stand-up monologue than conventional television news satire.

He remained the segment’s anchor until 1997. Colin Quinn replaced him, which is why the two comedians are sometimes linked when viewers recall the mid-1990s Weekend Update era. Dennis Miller anchored the segment earlier, from 1985 to 1991.

Macdonald’s time on the desk also included recurring jokes about O. J. Simpson and other major news stories. His understated delivery became a defining feature of his comedy, and his later work included acting, writing, podcasting, and several stand-up appearances.