Martin Short & Amy Poehler Praise the Late Jan Hooks: See Her Standout SNL Characters
The two praised the cast member, who died in 2014, as "so funny and moving" on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast.
Former Saturday Night Live cast members Amy Poehler and Martin Short have a long history with — and appreciation for — the sketch show, and the many talented people who've made a name there. And during the second episode of the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast, Poehler and Short honored a departed SNL gem for her contributions to comedy: The late Jan Hooks.
During the podcast ep released on March 18, 2025, Short recalled a scene with Hooks from his 2004 feature film Jiminy Glick in Lalawood. As Poehler segued into asking about Short's Glick character, the Only Murders in the Building star paused and said, "let's focus a second on Jan Hooks. Was there anyone funnier than Jan Hooks?"
"You're right," Poehler agreed. "There were a few women at the SNL 50th that I was really missing, and that I really wish I could meet, because I never met. One of them was Gilda [Radner], and the other one was Jan."
Jan Hooks was an SNL cast member from 1986 to 1991, often sharing scenes with Phil Hartman, who she called "Sandy" for the color of his hair. She also frequently collaborated with Nora Dunn, her co-star in the recurring "Sweeney Sisters" sketches.
"She was like the Kristen Wiig or Kate McKinnon of the cast when I was growing up," Poehler raved, adding, "Jan was so talented, such a good actress, so funny."
"And so moving," Short said, recalling a 1995 special they did together in which she played "everyone" from David Letterman's mother to comedian Brett Butler.
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Jan Hooks died of cancer in 2014
Hooks died of throat cancer in October 2014 at age 57. One of her last roles was portraying Jenna Maroney's mother, Verna Maroney, on two episodes of 30 Rock.
In her 2014 speech at Elle's Women in Hollywood Awards, Tina Fey honored Hooks, explaining that they'd wanted a "Jan Hooks type" to play the role, only to learn Hooks was living in upstate New York and extremely available.
"She was actually a little shy about jumping back into the game,” Fey explained (quotes via Vanity Fair). “And she came down and she was so funny.
Saying her first scene "mesmerized" the crew, Fey dedicated her award to "sweet Jan Hooks."
On SNL, Hooks was honored with an in memoriam moment in Season 40. In a segment introduced by Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, the show re-aired the bittersweet 1987 "Love Is a Dream" short she starred in with Phil Hartman, which the show also aired upon his death in 1998.
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Jan Hooks' memorable SNL characters and impressions
Candy Sweeney of the Sweeney Sisters
Jan Hooks and Nora Dunn played the popular Sweeney Sisters, a cheesy nightclub duo who captivated with their glitzy song medleys.
"It was Jan Hooks who came up with the idea for The Sweeney Sisters. On the spot while we were shooting a commercial parody for Saturday Night Live," Dunn wrote in a 2014 Facebook post memorializing Hooks (quotes via Pajiba).
"It came like a minor explosion, as most of her ideas did, and she delivered the concept and our names in a matter of seconds," Dunn continued. "Then she started belting out medleys of classic swing songs. There was no way I could keep up with her. She was a seasoned improvisor who never credited herself as a writer and at the heart of her matter. She was a genuine actress."
Sadly, none of the Sweeney Sisters sketches are available on SNL's YouTube channel due to music rights, though they live on in the corners of TikTok.
Brenda the Waitress
Hooks' "Brenda the Waitress" only appeared once to sass a cowboy (Host Alec Baldwin) who visits her diner, but the character work was meaty enough to hang an entire movie on.
Bette Davis
In the 1989 "Bette Davis' Video Will," Hooks casually busted out an incredible impression of the screen legend.
Ivana Trump
Hooks and Hartman were starring in Donald Trump sketches decades before James Austin Johnson's famous impression of the now-President.
Tammy Faye Bakker
Hooks appeared in several of Dana Carvey's popular "Church Chat" sketches, and got the chance to showcase a spot-on impression of the famous wife of disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker.
Nancy Reagan
Hooks and Hartman starred in so many great sketches together, it's hard to pick just a few favorites — fortunately, every episode of Saturday Night Live is available on Peacock to revisit anytime.
