Chris Kattan Characters on SNL: Why They Still Matter

Honestly, it’s hard to imagine the late '90s without the image of Chris Kattan in a tiny neon speedo or a velvet suit. During his run from 1996 to 2003, Kattan wasn't just another cast member; he was the human equivalent of a live wire. While some of his comedy hasn't aged perfectly, the pure, unadulterated physicality of Chris Kattan characters on SNL defined an era of the show that leaned heavily into the weird, the sweaty, and the absurd.

If you grew up watching Saturday Night Live back then, you knew that when Kattan walked on screen, things were about to get chaotic. He didn't just play a character; he inhabited them with this frantic energy that felt like he’d drank ten espressos before every live show. From the pulsating club scene to the damp basements of suburban Florida, Kattan’s roster of weirdos remains some of the most distinct in the show's 50-year history.

The Cultural Phenomenon of the Butabi Brothers

You can’t talk about Kattan without starting at the Roxbury.

Doug and Steve Butabi. The rayon suits. The rhythmic, neck-snapping head bobs to Haddaway’s "What Is Love." It’s basically the 1990s in a nutshell. Kattan and Will Ferrell didn’t even need dialogue to make this work. They’d just stand there, intensely bobbing their heads in unison, trying—and failing—to seduce women at the club.

Kattan actually got the idea for the head-bobbing from watching a guy in a real club who was trying way too hard to look cool. It started at The Groundlings in LA before becoming a cornerstone of SNL. It’s one of those rare instances where a sketch was so massive it spawned a feature film, A Night at the Roxbury. Even now, thirty years later, if that song comes on at a wedding, at least three people are going to start doing the Kattan head-flick.

You Can’t Have-a Da Mango

Then there was Mango.

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If the Roxbury guys were about fraternal losers, Mango was about an untouchable, androgynous god. Clad in gold spandex and a pink beret, Mango was a male exotic dancer who had every guest host—from Ben Affleck to Garth Brooks—falling desperately in love with him.

Kattan has mentioned in interviews and his memoir, Baby Don’t Hurt Me, that Mango was inspired by a mix of a Russian ex-girlfriend, his dog Winnie, and a real dancer he met in a strip club. The joke was always the same: Mango would act completely oblivious to his own power, speaking in the third person and teasing everyone with his catchphrase, "You can’t have-a da Mango!"

It was ridiculous. It was over-the-top. But Kattan’s commitment to the bit made it legendary. He even brought the character back for an Alexander Wang fashion campaign in 2014, proving that the pink beret still had some life in it.

The Physicality of Mr. Peepers

This is where Kattan’s background in dance and physical comedy really shone. Mr. Peepers was... well, he was a monkey-man.

Usually introduced by Will Ferrell’s scientist character, Mr. Peepers would escape his cage and proceed to wreak havoc on the set. This often involved Kattan literally leaping onto guest hosts, scaling the furniture, and aggressively eating apples (and spitting them everywhere).

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It sounds primitive, and it was. But the athleticism required was insane. Kattan was frequently bruised and battered after these sketches. One of the most famous moments featured Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as "Papa Peepers," where the two of them basically turned the SNL stage into a jungle gym. It was pure slapstick that relied entirely on Kattan's ability to move like a primate.

Azrael Abyss and the Suburban Goths

If you were a "weird kid" in the late '90s, Goth Talk hit close to home.

Kattan played Azrael Abyss (real name: Tod), the host of a public-access show filmed in a basement in Tampa, Florida. Along with Molly Shannon’s Circe Nightshade, they tried to be "dark" and "morose" while Bauhaus’s "Bela Lugosi’s Dead" played in the background.

The comedy came from the constant interruptions by Azrael’s brother, Glen (played by Jim Breuer), who would ruin the spooky vibe by shouting about pizza or beer. It perfectly captured that specific brand of teenage rebellion where you're trying to be a creature of the night, but your mom still needs you to take out the trash.

Other Memorable (and Controversial) Hits

Kattan had a deep bench. Some were hits; others were products of their time that probably wouldn't fly today.

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• Suel Forrester: The guy with the incomprehensible "Southern" accent. You never knew what he was saying, but Kattan’s mouth contortions did all the heavy lifting.
• The DeMarco Brothers: Kattan and Ferrell as two aspiring dancers/singers who would "audition" for celebrities by performing terrible, minimalist routines to their hits.
• Gay Hitler: A character that Kattan himself has acknowledged wouldn't be done now. It was basically a Paul Lynde impression dressed as a Nazi, relying on broad stereotypes for shock value.
• The Zimmermans: A hyper-sexual couple played by Kattan and Cheri Oteri who would get uncomfortably intimate in public, usually involving a lot of weird clicking noises and physical entanglement.

The Legacy and the Scars

People often wonder why Kattan disappeared from the spotlight for a while. The reality is quite somber. In his 2019 book, he revealed that he actually broke his neck during an SNL sketch back in 2001. He was doing a parody of The Golden Girls and threw himself backward in a chair.

That injury led to years of chronic pain, multiple surgeries, and a struggle with pain medication. It’s a reminder that the high-energy, physical comedy he’s famous for came at a literal cost to his health.

When you look back at these characters, you're seeing a performer who was willing to throw his body at a joke—quite literally. Kattan’s era of SNL was defined by a specific kind of silliness that bridged the gap between the grounded 80s and the digital era of the 2000s.

How to Revisit Kattan's Best Work

If you want to dive back into the archives, here is the best way to see these characters in their prime:

1. Search for "Roxbury Guys Jim Carrey": Many fans consider the Jim Carrey episode to be the peak of the Butabi Brothers.
2. Look for the "Mango vs. J.Lo" sketch: This was a massive crossover moment when Jennifer Lopez was at the height of her fame.
3. Check out the "More Cowbell" sketch: Most people remember Will Ferrell, but watch Kattan in the background as the keyboardist. His subtle, weird movements are a masterclass in supporting character work.
4. Watch the "I Wish It Was Christmas Today" performances: This recurring musical bit with Jimmy Fallon, Horatio Sanz, and Tracy Morgan has become a holiday staple and showcases Kattan’s "unbothered" comedic energy.

Kattan might not be a regular face on the screen anymore, but his contribution to the DNA of Saturday Night Live is undeniable. He brought a frantic, physical weirdness that the show rarely sees nowadays.