Jan Hooks joins a sad roster of fallen ‘SNL’ alum

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — During its four decades, “Saturday Night Live” has been populated by nearly 150 cast members. A number of them left the NBC comedy show for even greater stardom. Others faded into obscurity.

A handful have met with premature death, most recently Jan Hooks, a member of the “SNL” troupe from 1986-91 who died Thursday at age 57.

Others have included:

— John Belushi (a cast member from 1975-79), who died of a drug overdose at age 33 in 1982.

— Gilda Radner (a fellow charter member, from 1975-80), who died of cancer at 42 in 1989.

— Danitra Vance (1985-86), who died of cancer at 40 in 1994.

— Michael O’Donoghue (an influential performer and writer in the show’s early years), who died of a cerebral hemorrhage at 54 in 1994.

— Chris Farley (1990-95), who died of a drug overdose at 33 in 1997.

— Phil Hartman (1986-94), who was killed by his wife in 1998 at age 49.

— Charles Rocket (1980-81), who committed suicide in 2005 at age 56.

— Tom Davis (a performer-writer in the show’s early years), who died of cancer at 59 in 2012.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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