6 iconic SNL duos who paved the way for Colin Jost and Michael Che [guest post]

Sabienna Bowman has been covering entertainment news since 2010. She currently writes for Bustle, Reelgood, and PopSugar.

The Emmys are just around the corner, and this year’s hosts are familiar faces to comedy fans. Saturday Night Live‘s “Weekend Update” duo Colin Jost and Michael Che will be co-hosting the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on NBC on Monday, Sept. 17. Before they take the stage to hand out awards, let’s look back at some of SNL’s other great duos who blazed a path for Jost and Che to follow.  

Believe it or not, SNL has been on air since 1975. In those 44 years, many of America’s greatest comedians have passed through Studio 8H, including Steve Martin, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Kristen Wiig. In true sketch comedy fashion, these titans did their best work with partners. Here are six unforgettable SNL duos that never failed to make viewers laugh.

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey

Fey and Amy Poehler are best friends off camera, and since leaving SNL, they’ve continued to make movies together. During their time on the show, comedy magic always happened when they were together. Need proof? Take a look at their take on Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton. Or their stint as Weekend Update anchors. Or they time they starred in the iconic “Mom Jeans” sketch. Fact: These two are perfect together.

Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd

On the surface, Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd appear to be a mismatched pair. Martin’s quiet real-life persona doesn’t quite fit with Aykroyd’s “Blues Brothers” antics. However, on SNL they complemented each other beautifully as “The Festrunk Brothers” — a pair of brothers from Czechoslovakia, whose tenuous grasp of American pop culture provided endless laughs in the ’70s.

Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader

Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader work on the same wavelength. They’re both perfect at being zany, and channelling their inner weird. If you need proof, look no further than their glorious “Hollywood Dish” interviews with celebrities.

 

Jimmy Fallon and Rachel Dratch

Bostonites rejoice, because no SNL duo ever paid homage to the city’s culture quite like Jimmy Fallon and Rachel Dratch. Through a series of sketches they sent up Boston stereotypes with a loving sense of reverence and silliness.

Bill Hader and Seth Meyers

Whenever Hader’s Stefon joined Seth Meyers at the “Weekend Update” table, you knew you were in for a good time. Meyers always did his best to play the straight man as Hader channelled his inner Stefon. The end result was a series of hilarious and unforgettable sketches.

Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig

Two words: Garth and Kat. The cornball singing duo offered up majestic anthems for every holiday and season of the year. And no one could have brought this pair to life with as much zeel as Armisen and Wiig.

There’s no denying the talents of Jost and Che. The comedians come from a long line of hilarious performers who have found their perfect comedy match on SNL. If they can bring the same amount of laughs to the Emmys that they do to the show each week, then they’ll be in the company of the great SNL duos who came before them.

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