Weekend Update has been a platform for Saturday Night Live characters to grow and gain popularity ever since Gilda Radner used it to create Emily Litella and Roseanne Roseannadanna. Many cast members have used Update as the primary vehicle for a certain character. Don Novello was featured almost exclusively on the news segment as his breakout character, Father Guido Sarducci, and Tim Kazurinsky, in the face of Eddie Murphy's overshadowing popularity, created characters almost exclusively for Update. Before becoming an anchor on Update, Colin Quinn used the segment as his main sounding board as well.
Significant characters who appeared chiefly on Weekend Update are listed here in chronological order of their first appearance.
Emily Litella (Gilda Radner) – November 15, 1975Roseanne Roseannadanna (Gilda Radner) – January 21, 1978 (first overall appearance was in a fake commercial called "Hire the Incompetent" which aired on the season 3 episode hosted by Charles Grodin)Lester Crackfield (Al Franken) – February 18, 1978Father Guido Sarducci (Don Novello) – May 13, 1978Chico Escuela (Garrett Morris) – November 11, 1978Big Vic Ricker (Harry Shearer) – January 26, 1980Dr. Jack Badofsky (Tim Kazurinsky) – March 20, 1982Siobhan Cahill (Mary Gross) – January 22, 1983Dwight MacNamara (Gary Kroeger) – November 12, 1983Worthington Clotman (Tim Kazurinsky) – January 28, 1984Wayne Huevos (Tim Kazurinsky) – February 18, 1984Lew Goldman (Billy Crystal) – October 13, 1984Buddy Young, Jr. (Billy Crystal) – October 20, 1984Nathan Thurm (Martin Short) – November 17, 1984Tommy Flanagan, the Pathological Liar (Jon Lovitz) – November 16, 1985Babette (Nora Dunn) – April 19, 1986Mr. Subliminal (Kevin Nealon) – October 11, 1986A Grumpy Old Man (Dana Carvey) – February 11, 1989Annoying Man (Jon Lovitz) – November 11, 1989Queen Shenequa (Ellen Cleghorne) – October 26, 1991Jan Brady (Melanie Hutsell) – January 11, 1992Cajun Man (Adam Sandler) – February 8, 1992Buster Jenkins (Chris Rock) – February 15, 1992Opera Man (Adam Sandler) – April 18, 1992Hank Fielding (Robert Smigel) – November 14, 1992Bennett Brauer (Chris Farley) – April 10, 1993The British Fops (Mark McKinney, David Koechner) – November 11, 1995Joe Blow (Colin Quinn) – November 18, 1995Gary Macdonald (David Koechner) – December 2, 1995Lenny The Lion (Colin Quinn) – December 9, 1995Cinder Calhoun (Ana Gasteyer) – November 23, 1996Dominican Lou (Tracy Morgan) – March 22, 1997Gunner Olsen (Jim Breuer) – March 7, 1998Jacob Silj (Will Ferrell) – December 4, 1999Jasper Hahn (Horatio Sanz) – January 8, 2000Jeannie Darcy (Molly Shannon) – November 18, 2000Gay Hitler (Chris Kattan) – October 13, 2001Drunk Girl (Jeff Richards) – December 8, 2001Fericito (Fred Armisen) – October 5, 2002Tim Calhoun (Will Forte) – October 19, 2002The Kelly Brothers (Fred Armisen, Will Forte) – February 8, 2003Billy Smith (Fred Armisen) – October 18, 2003Jorge Rodriguez (Horatio Sanz) – May 1, 2004Jon Bovi (Will Forte, Jason Sudeikis) – October 7, 2006Two Gay Guys from Jersey (Fred Armisen, Bill Hader) – October 28, 2006Aunt Linda (Kristen Wiig) – December 2, 2006Nicholas Fehn (Fred Armisen) – October 13, 2007Roger A. Trevanti (Fred Armisen) – November 3, 2007 (was a one-shot character that gained a following on YouTube videos during the 2007–2008 Writers' Guild of America strike)Judy Grimes (Kristen Wiig) – April 12, 2008Jean K. Jean (Kenan Thompson) – March 8, 2008Garth and Kat (Fred Armisen, Kristen Wiig) – December 19, 2009Stefon (Bill Hader) – April 24, 2010 (first overall appearance was in a one-shot sketch on the season 34 episode hosted by Ben Affleck)Anthony Crispino (Bobby Moynihan) – October 2, 2010Best Friends from Growing Up (Fred Armisen and Vanessa Bayer)The Girl You Wish You Never Started a Conversation With (Cecily Strong)One-Dimensional Female Character In a Male-Driven Comedy (Cecily Strong)