RIP Jan Hooks

[Stoney Mason]

Very under-rated SNL performer imo. She was one of the best performers the show ever had.


You might have seen her in more recent years on occasional 30 rock guest appearances.


https://screen.yahoo.com/jan-hooks-snl-skits/barbara-nancy-000000023.html

Jan Hooks, whose Hillary Clinton and Tammy Faye Bakker were hallmarks of Saturday Night Live in the late '80s, has died. She was 57.

Hooks's agency confirmed that the comedian died early Thursday of an undisclosed cause.

During her five-year SNL stint, Hooks was part of an ensemble that included Mike Myers, Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon, Chris Farley, Dennis Miller, and her fellow Sweeney Sister, Nora Dunn.

A reliable supporting sketch comic, Hooks was best known for her spot-on impressions of mascara-melting Bakker, Clinton, Bette Davis, and Sinéad O'Connor during her 1986-91 run on the late-night comedy show. Her character Brenda the waitress later became a template for her guest role on 30 Rock, playing the gold-digging Verna Maloney, mother to Jane Krakowski's Jenna.

Hooks also appeared in a handful of films, including Tim Burton's Batman Returns and, most notably, Pee-wee's Big Adventure. She delivered one of the movie's catchphrases: "There's no basement in the Alamo!"

Following her run on SNL, Hooks co-starred on Designing Women, and did recurring work on 3rd Rock From the Sun. Her last credited on-screen work was on 30 Rock.

She also had a recurring role on The Simpsons, voicing the ever-patient Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon, who puts up with her husband Apu's long hours at the Kwik-E-Mart despite having octuplets to take care of.

Twitter was full of remembrances and best wishes from her fans. Many singled out their favorite performances and characters. Several of her peers, however, kept it simple.

[chronovore]

Fifty-seven? Holy crap, that’s young. I wonder what got her. That’s way too young.

[Trent Dole]

Wtf... undisclosed cause??

overdose/suicide, natch.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

another site said illness.  Cancer I'd guess.

one of my first adolescent crushes.  That's probably why I was a weird kid because I was watching SNL for that kind of thing instead of Baywatch like everybody else.  I'm sorry that she's gone, 57 is far too young to check out these days.

[Stoney Mason]

one of my first adolescent crushes.  That's probably why I was a weird kid because I was watching SNL for that kind of thing instead of Baywatch like everybody else.  I'm sorry that she's gone, 57 is far too young to check out these days.

She was attractive when she was younger. And a chick like that is 10 times more attractive to me than a Pamela Anderson type.

[ToxicAdam]

Jan Hooks was probably the best female performer the show ever had. She was like the Phil Hartman of women performers.

[Stoney Mason]

Jan Hooks was probably the best female performer the show ever had. She was like the Phil Hartman of women performers.

Agreed