With her death, comedian Jan Hooks joins a sad roster of fallen ‘SNL’ alumni

NEW YORK, N.Y. – During its four decades, “Saturday Night Live” has been populated by nearly 150 cast members. A number of them left the NBC comedy show for even greater stardom. Others faded into obscurity.

A handful have met with premature death, most recently Jan Hooks, a member of the “SNL” troupe from 1986-91 who died Thursday at age 57.

Others have included:

— John Belushi (a cast member from 1975-79), who died of a drug overdose at age 33 in 1982.

— Gilda Radner (a fellow charter member, from 1975-80), who died of cancer at 42 in 1989.

— Danitra Vance (1985-86), who died of cancer at 40 in 1994.

— Michael O’Donoghue (an influential performer and writer in the show’s early years), who died of a cerebral hemorrhage at 54 in 1994.

— Chris Farley (1990-95), who died of a drug overdose at 33 in 1997.

— Phil Hartman (1986-94), who was killed by his wife in 1998 at age 49.

— Charles Rocket (1980-81), who committed suicide in 2005 at age 56.

— Tom Davis (a performer-writer in the show’s early years), who died of cancer at 59 in 2012.