‘SNL’ New Cast Members: Meet The Talent Joining Kenan Thompson, Cecily Strong & More
Chris Redd is the latest person to exit ‘Saturday Night Live.’ Luckily, Studio 8H is welcoming some fresh faces to make ’em laugh this season. Meet the new AND returning cast members here!
The new TV schedule for Fall 2022 is rolling out and with it comes the announcement of the new cast members for Saturday Night Live! The iconic sketch comedy show will be adding four new talented comedians as featured players for its 48th season after some of its brightest stars, like Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson, exited last season.
Chris Redd was the latest cast member to exit the show. He joined SNL in 2017 and even won a 2018 Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for co-writing the sketch song “Come Back Barack.” Chris said in a statement, “Being a part of ‘SNL’ has been the experience of a lifetime. Now, with friends who have become family and memories I will cherish forever, I’m grateful to Lorne Michaels and to the entire ‘SNL’ organization. From the bottom of my heart, I can’t thank you all enough.”
The casting move to welcome four new featured players is unusual for the Lorne Michaels production, as it usually only offers featured players gigs to two or three fresh faces for each new season. “This will be transition year. Change years are always difficult but always exciting,” Lorne said backstage at the 2022 Emmy Awards, where SNL won the Outstanding Variety Sketch Series gong. “There are new people. There are four new people at least for now.”
Keep reading to meet the new cast members who will be taking over Saturday Night Live come Oct. 1 on NBC. And revisit the returning funny people as well!
New Cast Members
Marcello Hernandez
Marcello Hernandez is a Cuban-Dominican stand-up from Miami who also lists himself as a writer and producer, according to the NBC press release. He has opened for the likes of Gilbert Gottfried, Tim Dillon, Jim Breuer and Mark Viera. He was selected as a Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy in 2022.
Molly Kearney
Molly Kearney hails from Cleveland but is based in Chicago and has landed roles in Amazon’s A League of Their Own and Disney+’s The Mighty Ducks. She was also selected for Comedy Central’s “Up Next” showcase in 2019.
Michael Longfellow
Michael Longfellow made his mark in the standup comedy world of Los Angeles after being born and raised in Arizona. He has been featured on Netflix’s Introducing … showcase, NBC’s Bring the Funny and was also selected as one of TBS’s “Comics to Watch” for the 2017 New York Comedy Festival.
Devon Walker
Devon Walker comes to SNL by way of Austin, Texas. His writing credits include Netflix’ Big Mouth and Freeform’s Everything’s Trash. Devon was also selected for Comedy Central’s “Up Next” showcase in 2017.
Returning Cast
Cecily Strong
Many fans wondered if Cecily Strong would be following suit after Kate, Pete, Kyle Mooney and Aidy Bryant bid adieu, not to mention Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor and Aristotle Athari. The veteran star and inimitable talent is coming back however for her 10th year! Hopefully, we’ll see her perform her killer impersonations more often, as her takes on Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro and French actress Catherine Deneuve left audiences in stitches.
Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson is coming back. Thank heavens. He’s been on the show since 2003. Enough said.
Bowen Yang
Bowen Yang has made quite the splash since beginning his SNL career as a writer in 2018. The next year he was in front of the camera and tearing up the place with his hilarious characters, so much so he was nominated for an Emmy in 2021!
Heidi Gardner
Since 2017, Heidi Gardner has cracked up audiences with her zany characters. She’ll be returning to the show for its 48th season after having starred in Hustle with Adam Sandler, which was released in the summer.
Colin Jost
Colin Jost is the head writer of the program, so it’s likely he will be returning. The comedian has also been the co-anchor for Weekend Update since 2014.
Sarah Sherman
The variety show needs a zany, off-the-wall player like Sarah Sherman! The hilarious star will be returning and hopefully badgering Colin some more!
Ego Nwodim
Ego Nwodim came to play on Saturday Night Live in its 44th season. Her signature style of humor and hilarious impersonation of Dione Warwick will surely light up the next season.
Michael Che
Michael Che will be joining Colin at the Weekend Update desk for the 48th season. The standup comedian has been a writer on the show since 2014. He and Colin also co-hosted the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2018.
Chloe Fineman
Chloe Fineman has clearly been the breakout star of the sketch show over the last few years, with her expert impressions of Britney Spears, Meryl Streep and Drew Barrymore landing her on many a late-night talk show. She even had a comedic role in the recent remake of Father of the Bride.
Mikey Day
Mikey Day is the glue that keeps the show together! Since he first got a writing gig on the show back in 2013, the hilarious actor has become the go-to guy for characters ranging from everyday to every kind of crazy.
Punkie Johnson
Punkie Johnson became a featured player two seasons ago and looks to be finding her stride in both writing and performing. The LGBTQ+ star is the eighth black female cast member in the show’s history.