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Entertainment & Arts

Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ class: Where are they now?

Monday night's premiere of "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" may be nerve-racking for the former "Saturday Night Live" cast member, but it also has to be a bit of a relief. Since leaving "SNL" in 2003 on a wave of goodwill and buzz that the boyishly handsome charmer could be the next big thing, Fallon has struggled through a series forgettable comedies ("Taxi"). Now he's settling into a seat made warm by no less than David Letterman and Conan O'Brien. High expectations, yes. But just to sit behind that desk for a week puts him in the most exclusive of company. No sweat, Jimmy, as of Monday night, all your post "SNL" expectations have been fulfilled. But what about the rest of "SNL's" class of 2003? How are they holding up? -- Patrick Kevin Day

Monday night’s premiere of “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” may be nerve-racking for the former “Saturday Night Live” cast member, but it also has to be a bit of a relief. Since leaving “SNL” in 2003 on a wave of goodwill and buzz that the boyishly handsome charmer could be the next big thing, Fallon has struggled through a series forgettable comedies (“Taxi”).

Now he’s settling into a seat made warm by no less than David Letterman and Conan O’Brien. High expectations, yes. But just to sit behind that desk for a week puts him in the most exclusive of company. No sweat, Jimmy, as of Monday night, all your post “SNL” expectations have been fulfilled.

But what about the rest of “SNL’s” class of 2003? How are they holding up?

-- Patrick Kevin Day  (Diane Bondareff / Associated Press)

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Rachel Dratch

Rachel Dratch
‘SNL’ cast member: 1999-2006

Best characters: Debbie Downer and Nicole, the Girl with No Gay-Dar!

Since then: Even though she was replaced as part of the regular cast of “30 Rock” before it premiered with Jane Krakowski, Dratch has appeared on 11 episodes of the show. In demand for voice work, she’s voiced characters on “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” “Squidbillies,” “Assy McGee,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “Superjail!’ She’s currently appearing on stage in Los Angeles in the Center Theatre Group’s “Minsky’s.”

-- Brill Bundy  (Craig Schwartz / Associated Press)

Tina Fey

Tina Fey
‘SNL’ cast member: 2000-2006, writer starting in 1997

Best characters: “Weekend Update” anchor, Sarah Palin (in 2008)

Since then: Perhaps you’ve heard, Fey scored an Emmy trifecta last year as star, writer and producer of “30 Rock.” She also starred in the 2008 comedy “Baby Mama” with fellow “SNL” alum Amy Poehler and wrote and co-starred in “Mean Girls.”

-- Rick Porter  (Evan Agostini / Associated Press)

Seth Meyers

Seth Meyers
‘SNL’ cast member: 2001-present

Best characters: “Weekend Update” anchor, Dan Needler, Nerod the receptionist, impersonations of the Dell Dude

Since then: He’s still there, but he has appeared in “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” during his downtime

-- Hanh Nguyen  (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler
‘SNL’ cast member: 2001-2008

Best characters: “Weekend Update” anchor, Sally Needler, Amber the one-legged hypoglycemic and impressions of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Katie Couric

Since then: During hiatus, Poehler appeared on “Arrested Development” (her husband Will Arnett’s defunct show), in “Blades of Glory” with Arnett as a brother-sister ice skating team and with Tina Fey in “Baby Mama.” She gave birth to a son, Archie, and stars in NBC’s upcoming comedy “Parks and Recreation.”

-- Hanh Nguyen  (Brad Barket / Getty Images)

Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph
‘SNL’ cast member: on and off from 1999-2007

Best characters: Donatella Versace and Christina Aguilera

Since then: Playing mom to daughter Pearl with boyfriend, writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson, Rudolph has managed to squeeze in time for four episodes of “Kath & Kim” and returned to “SNL” in November to play Michelle Obama.

--Brill Bundy  (Neilson Barnard / Getty Images)

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