“Saturday Night Live” is shaking up its lineup ahead of season 51. The show announced five new cast members on social media, just days after several performers and writers confirmed their exits.
The news comes after longtime creator Lorne Michaels hinted at changes in an interview with Puck News. He said he felt pressure to “reinvent” the show after its landmark 50th season.
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In a social media post, “SNL” introduced new cast members Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska.
Tommy Brennan
Comedian Tommy Brennan recently appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in June to promote an upcoming comedy club performance at Sisyphus Brewing Co. in Minneapolis on Oct. 3 and 4. This appearance could be rescheduled, however, since the dates coincide with the first weekend of “SNL’s” season premiere.
On Instagram, Brennan wrote, “This doesn’t feel real, but we’ll see you guys on Saturdays,” he wrote.
Jeremy Culhane
California comedian Jeremy Culhane is also joining the cast. Audiences may know him from HBO Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls” or from his appearances on “Dropout TV’s” Game Changer and Make Some Noise.
Ben Marshall
Ben Marshall is no stranger to Studio 8H. He is one-third of the comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy, which joined “Saturday Night Live” as writers in 2021. The group’s viral digital shorts quickly became a fixture on the show.
It is not clear if Marshall’s collaborators, John Higgins and Martin Herlihy, will continue with “SNL,” but Marshall himself has now been elevated from writer to featured cast member.
Kam Patterson
Orlando native Kam Patterson is another new face. He recently appeared in Kevin Hart’s upcoming film “72 Hours,” a project that also features Ben Marshall.
Veronika Slowikowska
Rounding out the list is Veronika Slowikowska, a Canadian actor who recently starred in Netflix’s “Tires,” a comedy series created by Shane Gillis.
Context on the shakeup
These additions follow the departure of four cast members Heidi Gardner, Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow, and Emil Wakim. The reshuffling reflects Michaels’ plan to keep the show fresh after its anniversary season.
In his Aug. 22 interview with Puck News, Michaels explained that he intentionally avoided big changes during season 50.
“I wanted people coming back and being part of [the 50th season],” he said, noting that alumni like Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph returned to celebrate. “That meant there couldn’t be those kind of disruptions [to the cast], or anything that was going to take the focus off [the 50th season]. And we had an election.”
When asked if he felt pressured to reinvent the show, Michaels answered yes.
Saturday Night Live returns Oct. 4 on NBC.
