Although he may not be immediately recognizable today, Anthony Michael Hall was once one of Hollywood’s greatest talents. Thanks to the cast of John Hughes classics such as “The Breakfast Club” and “Weird Science”, Hall has built a reputation as a standout “geeky” actor. However, in a shuffle to avoid being typecast as the “shining bratty kid”, Hall joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” for the 1985-86 season. Surprisingly, the aspiring actor was just 17 when he landed the gig, making him the youngest cast member to appear on the show – “and probably one of the least funny”, has then joked Hall in an interview with Jam.
Alongside a team of newcomers, Hall was drafted into an “SNL” series trying to redefine itself amid disaster. The previous season was marred by a writer’s strike, a potential cancellation, and the ejection of every cast member after the season finale. As such, Hall was one of many eclectic actors brought in to form a skeleton cast that was shipped off at the end of an infamously forgettable season.
“It was a much more competitive and aggressive environment than I thought it would be,” Hall told The Dead Zone. “But it’s also where people who do well thrive. During my year there, I didn’t have any standout characters and didn’t really do the things I dreamed of doing, but I still learned a lot and I appreciate it.