With Bill Murray's excellent supporting work in the limited release Get Low (expanding to other cities soon; watch for our upcoming review and an interview with director Aaron Schneider), it got us thinking about the history of Saturday Night Live and the actors who graduated from that school of super-stardom. Who has done the most with their degree? Who has used the show as a launching platform to the most notable film careers?

We decided to stick with SNL alumni who jumped from TV to film simply because it's near-impossible to compare what Tina Fey is doing on 30 Rock with what Will Ferrell has done on the big screen. Making that distinction leaves out the great Fey, Phil Hartman (who never did anything as great as his work on Newsradio; sorry Houseguest fans), Sarah Silverman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Amy Poehler. We love them all but a small role in School of Rock and starring in Baby Mama aren't getting you on this list. We also tried to look at the entire career. If this was 1990, Chevy Chase and Dan Akyroyd would probably top the list but recent career choices haven't been as kind. Finally, we tried to divorce the opinion from their work as a part of the not-ready-for-primetime players. These aren't our ten favorite "Best of" DVDs from the SNL catalog. (Chris Farley would be number one.) So, with the dozens of actors who have tried to make the jump from the world of Lorne Michaels to that of the big screen, who has achieved the most air?

Runner-ups: Dan Aykroyd, Billy Crystal, Chris Farley, Michael McKean, Mike Myers, Gilda Radner, Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, and Kristen Wiig

Years on SNL: 1991-95
Great Performances: Funny People (2009), Spanglish (2004), Punch-Drunk Love (2002), and Happy Gilmore (1996)

Why: Based on the list above, clearly, this critic likes it when Sandler takes chances like working with Paul Thomas Anderson or Judd Apatow over appealing to the lowest comic denominator that turns absolute crap like I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry into a hit. The problem is that most viewers don't see the movies in which Sandler actually acts. And every time he has a bomb like Reign Over Me, he seems to retreat even further into the lazy junk that has made him a millionaire. If more people had seen Funny People, I doubt we'd have to suffer through Grown Ups. Despite the fact that he's made more bad movies than good ones, it seems likely that Adam Sandler still has a great performance or two left in him. We hope he'll continue to take risks and occasionally explore his dark side in ways that very few SNL alumni have before or risk disappearing entirely like so many comedians do when their shtick no longer gets them easy roles.

Years on SNL: 1980-84
Great Performances: Dreamgirls (2006), Bowfinger (1999), The Nutty Professor (1996), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Trading Places (1983), and 48 Hrs. (1982)

Why: Because when he's great, he really great, and it sure looked to most of us like he would be the first SNL alumni to win an Oscar (although he reportedly acted like such a child when he lost that he won't possibly ever be nominated again). Much like Sandler, Eddie Murphy has diminished his legacy with some truly awful films. Unlike Sandler, nobody even sees the truly lazy Murphy junk like Imagine That or The Adventures of Pluto Nash. He's had one of the most hit-and-miss careers of anyone in Hollywood over the last two decades for one reason – when he does knock it out of the park, it's a grand slam. Every producer in Hollywood is willing to lose a summer home on another Pluto Nash if there's a chance that they could get the Murphy of Beverly Hills Cop, The Nutty Professor, or the Shrek franchise. When Eddie Murphy is at his best, he's easily one of the strongest SNL alumni. We just wish he was at his best more often.

Years on SNL: 1985-86
Great Performances: Toy Story 3 (2010), War, Inc. (2008), Friends with Money (2006), School of Rock (2003), High Fidelity (2000), Toy Story 2 (1999), In & Out (1997), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Working Girl (1988), Married to the Mob (1988), Broadcast News (1987), and Sixteen Candles (1984)

Why: The highest ranking female alumni of a notoriously testosterone-heavy boys club has been one of the more consistent and underrated actors of the last quarter-century, arguably more so than her more-popular brother John. Joan Cusack always delivers. It's that simple. She is one of those rare actresses who makes bad movies better simply by being a part of the cast. She's never become a household name because she rarely gets the lead role but every film listed above, including some great ones like the Toy Story sequels, are improved by Cusack's involvement. It's hard enough for women to make waves when they're actually on the show but careers seem to fall off even more drastically after they leave SNL (go ask Cheri Oteri and Molly Shannon). We hope recent female powerhouses like Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig can have consistent enough film careers to break into this list if we do it again in a decade but for now it's just Joan.

Years on SNL: 1975-76
Great Performances: Christmas Vacation (1989), Three Amigos (1986), Spies Like Us (1985), FletchVacation (1983), Caddyshack (1980), and Foul Play (1978) (1985),

Why: Because for the better part of a decade – from about 1978 to 1990 – Chevy Chase was one of the funniest men alive. Just Caddyshack and Vacation alone push the first movie star to be spawned by SNL to a spot on the top ten. Just imagine how high he could have placed if he hadn't fallen apart in the 1990s and 2000s. His recent return to the spotlight with a great role on Community and funny cameos in films like Hot Tub Time Machine hint at a comeback for this once-beloved comedian who clearly still has the comic timing that made him a household name. Chevy Chase is the perfect example of the fickle finger of fate when it comes to comedy. Today's superstar could take twenty years to find the spotlight again. Don't say we didn't warn you Kevin James.

Years on SNL: 1995-2002
Great Performances: Stranger Than Fiction (2006), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), The Producers (2005), Wedding Crashers (2005), Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), ElfOld School (2003), Zoolander (2001), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), and Dick (1999) (2003),

Why: If we could include his work on HBO's Eastbound and Down and You're Welcome America – A Final Night with George W. Bush then Will Ferrell would be in the top two or three on this list, but the last few years have been pretty ugly on the big screen. It's gonna take some time before we get over the stink of Land of the Lost. Reuniting with his best director in Adam McKay for The Other Guys is a good idea and it's not hard to see Ferrell keeping a consistent career for decades to come. The question is if he'll continue to take chances in films like Stranger Than Fiction or stick to the physical humor that has made him a household name. He can't keep doing sports spoofs forever and we think it will be interesting to see where Will Ferrell goes in the 2010s and whether he slides up or down a list like this one.

Years on SNL: 1985-86
Great Performances: For Your Consideration (2006), A Mighty Wind (2003), Best in Show (2000), Waiting For Guffman (1996), The Princess Bride (1987), and This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Why: Because Corky St. Clair and Nigel Tufnel are two of the funniest characters in film history. Guest hasn't been as successful outside of the film's that he also directed in the last twenty years but the Guest-verse is a funny one to be in and one that we hope finds at least one or two more timeless characters for Guest to personify. What's so great about him is his utter commitment to a character. So many comedians offer lazy performances, practically laughing along with the audience at the wacky on-screen hi-jinks (Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy have all given more paycheck performances than not). Guest either commits or he doesn't. You never get the impression that it's for anything other than creativity. It's led to a rather sparse filmography but one that's filled with some beloved comedies and characters that are truly impossible to forget.

Years on SNL: 1989
Great Performances: Greenberg (2010), Tropic Thunder (2008), Dodgeball: A True Underdog StoryThe Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Zoolander (2001), Permanent Midnight (1998), There's Something About Mary (1998), Zero Effect (1998), and Flirting with Disaster (1996) (2004),

Why: Ben Stiller ranking fourth is proof how fluid a list like this must be from year to year. Without the one-two punch of Tropic Thunder and Greenberg, he might have not even made the top ten, but Stiller reminded us recently how daring he can be in the right comedy and how believable he can be in a more dramatic role like when he played Greenberg. When he made Permanent Midnight, Stiller hinted at an actor who would soon develop a diverse resume not unlike the man at the top of this list but he too often slides back into lazy junk like the Night at the Museum movies. When Ben Stiller cares about a movie like his work with Wes Anderson or the Farrelly brothers, his timing is as good as anyone of his generation. With the worldwide success of several still-continuing franchises (Madagascar, Night at the Museum, Meet the Parents) to bankroll his great-grandchildren, we hope that Stiller continues to keep taking risks like Greenberg to go along with the cash grabs.

Years on SNL: 1975-79
Great Performances: Neighbors (1981), The Blues Brothers (1980), 1941 (1979), and National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)

Why: Because when we mentioned a feature about the best SNL actors to anyone, Belushi was always one of the first names to come up. Can you imagine what he would have accomplished if he hadn't died at such a young age? Sure, it's possible that he would have disappeared like Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd but it seems unlikely, especially given the diversity of roles from just his limited time in the spotlight. Belushi often doesn't get enough credit as an actor probably because when someone creates roles this iconic and imitated, they seem easier than they look. He is easily one of the most influential comedians of his era and not just for his work on the show but for Jake Blues and Bluto Blutarsky, two characters who demand inclusion in any montage of the greatest comedies of all time.

Years on SNL: 1985-86
Great Performances: Tropic Thunder (2008), Iron Man (2008), Zodiac (2007), Kiss Kiss Bang BangWonder Boys (2000), Two Girls and a Guy (1997), Natural Born Killers (1994), Chaplin (1992), Less Than Zero (1987), and The Pick-up Artist (1987) (2005),

Why: Many people don't even identify Robert Downey Jr. with Saturday Night Live but that doesn't mean we can arbitrarily exclude him. And it's not that surprising that Downey was an SNL cast member if you really sit and think about his daring style of acting. He takes risks and there's very little riskier than making a fool of yourself on live television. That willingness to do whatever it takes to make a role effective can be traced through the rest of his career through Charlie Chaplin, Tony Stark, and definitely Kirk Lazarus. Do we really need to tell you why Robert Downey Jr. rules? Of course not. We do hope that Downey breaks out of the rut of "franchise player" and takes risks to go along with Sherlock Holmes and Iron Man but he's easily one of the most consistently interesting actors of his generation.

Years on SNL: 1977-80
Great Performances: Get Low (2010), Zombieland (2009), Broken Flowers (2005), Coffee and Cigarettes (2003), Lost in Translation (2003), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Rushmore (1998), Wild Things (1998), Kingpin (1996), Ed Wood (1994), Mad Dog and Glory (1993), Groundhog Day (1993), What About Bob? (1991), Ghostbusters (1984), Tootsie (1982), Stripes (1981), Caddyshack (1980), and Meatballs (1979)

Why: Because no one has been more consistent over the last three decades than Mr. Murray, an actor who picks an almost comically diverse (Garfield?) array of films in which to star but has a batting average greater than any of his SNL alumni. What's most remarkable about Murray is how much he continues to reinvent himself with each decade. Who would have guessed that Dr. Peter Venkman would become a muse for Jim Jarmusch or that he would be an indie darling after delivering arguably his best array of performances for someone like Wes Anderson? And those great small turns haven't kept him from excellent character work in bigger films or the occasional rock-star cameo like last year's Zombieland. Murray is one of the most underrated actors, period, regardless of his SNL affiliation. He should serve as a role model to current stars of the show that it need not force them into solely what Lorne Michaels expects of them. Get your start in the comedies that audiences expect to see you in after your SNL days but where you go from there is totally up to you.