Former Saturday Night Live cast member, actress, and comedienne Jan Hooks is dead. A cause of death has not been given but TMZ reports that she had been battling a serious illness.

I first became aware of Jan Hooks when she was part of the cast of 'Saturday Night Live' from 1986 to 1991. That was a fun time on the show with Dennis Miller, Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, and Chris Farley. Hooks was so great at doing exaggerated ultra-feminine characters, like in the video included here where she plays Cathy Lee Gifford. I loved watching her on that show!

Then came a role on 'Designing Women,' another show that I loved. Her career included parts on 'Pee Wee's Big Adventure,' and most recently on '30 Rock.' In 1998, Hooks was nominated for an Emmy for her role on '3rd Rock From the Sun' as the family's weird landlady's daughter. She was hysterical, no matter what character she was playing.

Jan Hooks died on Thursday. She was 57.

 

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