Leading up to the Sunday, February 16, event, NBC has announced the dozens of stars who will making appearances, including several SNL alum. Hader was on the show from 2005-2013 and portrayed the fan-favorite Stefon, so his absence from the list of attendees was noteworthy to fans, who expressed their frustration on social media.

Live (SNL) celebrated its 50th anniversary on February 16, 2025, It was an event packed with stellar skits, reunion of previous cast members, and guest appearances of alumni over time.

Here's why Dana Carvey, Bill Hader and more 'Saturday Night Live' legends skipped the 'SNL50' anniversary show.

In the "SNL" 50th anniversary special, Ryan Reynolds made a veiled reference to the "It Ends with Us" drama, and star Bill Hader was notably absent. The couture gown was treated to resemble gunmetal. Patrick Schwarzenegger's nude scene in 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Episode 1 continues the show's tradition of full-frontal male nudity.

After SNL50: The Anniversary Special episode ended, and stars walked down a carpet posing for the camera, people were quick to notice that some of the great SNL cast members, including Dan Aykroyd, Bill Hader, and others, were absent. Scroll ahead to find out who didn’t come and why.

Dana Carvey was among the most conspicuous no-shows at Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special this past weekend. And now we know why one of the show’s all-star cast members didn’t make it to New York City.

Where’s Dana? Dana Carvey skipped the “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary special that reunited dozens of the show’s current and former stars at Studio 8H on Sunday. Viewers were surprised the 69-year-old comedian missed the event considering he’s made recent appearances on “SNL” to portray Joe Biden.