She found fame as the eccentric daughter of an extraterrestrial family on late-night TV.
As one of the original cast members of an iconic show, she made her mark playing other characters too – such as a proto-Valley girl and the ditzy co-host of a public-access TV show.
The comedy star also made a splash in a skit where she shared a passionate kiss with NFL star turned accused murderer OJ Simpson. She later called him a 'good kisser'.
Though she's stepped back from the B-list films that helped pay the bills throughout the 80s, she remains involved in showbiz – going so far as to post fiery messages online aimed at a wildly-acclaimed TV show that won an Emmy she thought should have gone to her actress daughter.
Now, she tends to keep a low profile, choosing to live away from the spotlight. But she was recently spotted on a rare outing in Los Angeles where she has lived for most of her life.
Can you guess who she is?
She found fame as the eccentric daughter of an extraterrestrial family on late-night TV
As one of the original cast members of this late-night show, she made her mark in various skits playing characters such as a proto-Valley girl and the ditzy co-host of a public-access TV show
It's Laraine Newman!
The 73-year-old comedian was spotted walking her little black poodle down her residential block in Los Angeles last week.
Despite being a popular member of Saturday Night Live's original cast, Newman has said previously that she didn't enjoy her time on the show or living in New York City – developing eating disorders and a heroin addiction.
But exclusive DailyMail.com photos show Laraine is thriving in her home city as she strolled her native blocks with a serene look on her face.
Newman wore a bright orange long-sleeve from the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, black sweatpants and black shoes.
Her brown hair was in its usual straight style, but the comedian had graying roots.
The most popular skit she starred in for SNL was the Coneheads. Newman played Connie, the oblivious daughter of Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd who went to school with human children
Laraine Newman, 73, was spotted walking her little black poodle down her residential block in Los Angeles on Thursday
The former SNL comedian has left the on-camera life and transitioned into becoming a writer and contributing editor for the online magazine One For The Table
The former SNL comedian has left the on-camera life and transitioned to become a writer and contributing editor for the 'food, politics and love' online magazine, One For The Table.
She also has freelanced for the Huffington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Believer and McSweeney's.
The beginning for Newman was a homerun, starring as an original cast member on SNL from 1975 to 1980.
Her most prominent skit characters were Connie Conehead, proto-Valley girl Sherry and Christie Christina, the co-host of a public access TV show hosted by Dan Aykroyd's persona E. Buzz Miller.
One of her most memorable appearances was in 1978 with guest host O.J. Simpson – then still a football hero rather than a reviled accused murderer. In a February interview with Andy Cohen, she called Simpson 'a good host and a good kisser.' The comment referenced a sketch parodying the 1975 film Mandingo when she shared a passionate on-screen kiss with Simpson.
Despite her success, Newman struggled with her mental health throughout her time on the show.
Newman started out her career with a bang, becoming an original cast member for SNL from 1975 to 1980
She also made a cheeky remark about OJ Simpson during an interview with Andy Cohen, calling him 'a good host and a good kisser'
The comment referenced a sketch the couple appeared in parodying the 1975 movie Mandingo
In her memoir May You Live in Interesting Times, Laraine described her struggle with drug addiction and how difficult it was to keep up with SNL's endless competition for screen time between cast members.
Newman also revealed in her memoir that she had previously dated Aykroyd as well as fellow cast member Phil Hartman, who was shot and killed by his estranged wife Brynn in his Los Angeles home in 1998.
After leaving SNL and New York behind, Laraine began appearing in comedy and sci-fi movies such as Wholly Moses, Stardust Memories and Invaders from Mars.
Then, she dipped her toes in voice acting with animated shows including Danny Phantom, Avatar: The Last Airbender and Jimmy Neutron, before hitting the big leagues with box office bonanzas WALL-E, Up!, Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc.
Although Newman has shifted over to an entirely new path with writing, she remains involved in her daughter Hannah Einbinder's acting career.
Einbinder, 29, shot to fame for her portrayal of Ava Daniels in the hit TV series Hacks and even bagged herself a Critics' Choice Award and was Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated.
Newman alongside fellow SNL cast members Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner. She wrote in her memoir, that she was deeply unhappy while on the show and struggled with heroin addiction
Newman married Chad Einbinder, 62, in 1991. The couple had two children together, Spike and Hacks actress Hannah, before calling it quits in 2015
Her memoir May You Live in Interesting Times divulged her romances with SNL cast members Dan Aykroyd and Phil Hartman
Hannah is her second child with former husband Chad Einbinder.The couple were married in 1991, but after nearly 25 years of marriage, called it quits in 2015.
Chad has starred in several films and TV series including Doctor Dolittle, The Time Traveller's Wife and Tangled.
Their experience in Hollywood made them weary about Hannah's desire to pursue her showbiz dreams.
Hannah told Town & Country that her parents originally told her not to go into comedy or acting as they believed it doesn't actually matter if you're funny or not.
But despite their initial hesitancy, Newman didn't hesitate to post a disparaging message for the show The Bear after Hannah lost out at the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards last September.
'F**. THE. BEAR,' she posted along with numerous exclamation points on X, in reaction to Liza Colon-Zayas winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series as Hannah was nominated for the same category for Hacks.
Newman and her ex-husband originally didn't want Hannah to pursue comedy, but she would defy expectations when she bagged herself a Critics' Choice Award for her role as Ava Daniels in the hit series Hacks
Newman posted an angry message after her daughter was snubbed at Emmys last year: 'I think the Bear is a great show but IMHO it's not a comedy- not even a dark comedy'
She then posted: 'I think the Bear is a great show but IMHO it's not a comedy – not even a dark comedy.'
Someone else asked if the original post was necessary and Laraine responded: 'I know. I took it down. Not my best moment.'
Newman earlier shared her frustration over The Bear being in the same comedy category as Hacks.
'Every time I think about The Bear being in the comedy category for the Emmys, I can feel an ulcer developing,' she posted.
While Hannah lost out in her acting category, Hacks did win the final award of the event - Outstanding Comedy Series.
