A Look Back at ‘Saturday Night Live’ Castmembers Who Call Iowa Home

Saturday Night Live has kind of become like The Simpsons, or even Survivor. Every time it's own TV, I can't help but think to myself, "wow, that show is still on?" It wouldn't be if it didn't have a devoted legion of fans who faithfully tune in each and every week. SNL is presently in its 49th season, and recently welcomed its first "gen Z" castmember in Marcello Hernandez.

Light research into the show this morning got me to thinking: how many SNL alums are from Iowa? Unfortunately, there's not many, but there's two in particular that you might remember, one of whom was placed at #97 on Rolling Stone's ranking of 145 castmembers in 2015 to coincide with the show's 40th season.

Gary Kroeger's Time on the Show was Short but Memorable:

It was Gary Kroeger who was ranked #97 in Rolling Stone's aforementioned list. Kroeger, who is presently 67-years-old, hails from Cedar Falls, IA, and was a castmember on the show from 1982 - 1985.

Also a writer for the show, Kroeger is most fondly remembered for his impersonation of Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate for President in 1984. In addition, Kroeger acted alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Donny to her Marie Osmond when the two performed "Blue Christmas." The skit ended with the two "siblings" making out with one another.

Following his time on SNL, Kroeger made guess appearances on shows like Columbo and Curb Your Enthusiasm. In 2015, he announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 1st congressional district. However, he dropped the following year in effort to run for the Iowa House of Representatives, eventually losing to incumbent Republican Walt Rogers.

Cedar Rapids Once Had Some SNL Representation:

One of the more recent Saturday Night Live castmembers with Iowa roots was Brooks Wheelan, who is from Cedar Rapids. Wheelan also graduated at the University of Iowa with a biomedical engineering degree.

The 37-year-old comic was a castmember and writer for the 2013-2014 season. He became a noted impressionist during his time, impersonating everyone from Rand Paul to Harry Styles, Kid Rock, and Matthew McConaughey.

Wheelan's time on SNL sadly didn't last very long, as he was fired after one season. However, he did go out with one final laugh:

Thankfully, Wheelan has come out and said repeatedly that he has no ill-will over his dismissal, and was grateful for his time on the show. Wheelan continues to perform stand-up comedy, and currently hosts the podcast, Entry Level with Brooks Wheelan.

Before SNL, Brooks Wheelan actually attended Dubuque Hempstead High School and won homecoming king!

View a ranking of 145 Saturday Night Live castmembers on Rolling Stone's website.