‘Saturday Night Live’ announces new cast members for Season 51 after a series of departures

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Following an exceptional 50th year marked by numerous special occasions and a flurry of Emmy nominations, “Saturday Night Live” is prepared to undergo some refreshing adjustments.

NBC declared on Tuesday that five fresh faces will be added to the esteemed series for its approaching 51st season, as some individual cast members decided not to continue their participation.

There’s some uncertainty about whether more cast changes will be forthcoming, but during a recent conversation with Puck News, Lorne Michaels hinted at potential upheaval among the cast members.

For Season 51, we have five fresh faces joining the lineup: Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska.

In the year 2021, Marshall became a member of the “Saturday Night Live” writing team. He’s recognized not only for his work behind the scenes but also for his on-screen performances as part of the comedy troupe, Please Don’t Destroy, which includes John Higgins and Martin Herlihy.

Culhane and Slowikowska, renowned for their humorously viral content on social media, stand out in their respective fields. Slawikowska has showcased her talents in TV series like “Tires” and “What We Do in the Shadows,” while Culhane is a regular on Dropout TV’s comedy stream and collaborates with the Upright Citizens Brigade in LA. On the other hand, Brennan and Patterson excel as stand-up comedians.

Several cast members have also announced they will not be returning to the series.

Heidi Gardner is reportedly leaving the show after eight seasons, but she hasn’t made any official statements about her departure yet. Joining the cast back in 2017 as a main player, she gained fame for portraying original characters that frequently appeared on Weekend Update segments, such as Angel and Every Boxer’s Girlfriend. In total, she’s been involved in more than 500 sketches – a feat achieved by very few “SNL” actors.

During her tenure at “SNL,” Gardner has made appearances in films like the 2018 release “Life of the Party” as well as the ongoing Apple TV+ series “Shrinking.

Fans are taken aback as Michael Longfellow, who had been a regular on the Weekend Update desk for three seasons, is set to depart. Some fans even thought that his frequent appearances might lead to him becoming the main anchor of the satirical news segment.

During Weekend Update, Longfellow appeared under two different personas: he voiced his genuine concerns over the REAL ID requirement and the impending TikTok ban in his own voice, while also adopting roles like Michelangelo’s David and Punxsutawney Phil, among other notable characters he portrayed.

According to the site LateNighter, it’s said that Longfellow once participated in a screen test for the Weekend Update co-anchor role alongside SNL writer KC Shornima. Longfellow himself expressed on Instagram that his time at the show represents the best three years of his life thus far, as he announced his departure.

Initially, Devon Walker broke the news that he wouldn’t rejoin the series after a run of three seasons. Over those seasons, he featured in over fifty episodes and even made appearances on Weekend Update, where he did impressions of well-known figures like New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

In a post on Instagram, Walker drew an analogy between careers in entertainment and marriages, implying that while some may endure for many years (if we’re fortunate), the majority have a short lifespan. His exact words were: “Some of them last a lifetime if we’re lucky, but most are temporary.

For three years, I shared the stage with the show, and at times it was incredibly enjoyable. However, there were also moments when it was intensely challenging. Despite the chaos and dysfunction, we managed to create something unique – a sort of makeshift family.

Prior to his stint on “SNL”, Devon Walker had previously worked as a writer for the shows “Big Mouth” and “Everything’s Trash”. He has performed stand-up comedy at various venues, including clubs, colleges, and festivals across the country. Additionally, he hosts the music and comedy podcast titled “My Favorite Lyrics With Devon Walker.

I’m sad to announce that I won’t be returning to the cast following Season 50, just as I had joined. It was a tough call to receive but I’m incredibly grateful for the time I spent there.” (Emil Wakim)

During his brief stint on the show, Wakim left an impact by frequent appearances at the Weekend Update desk, delivering humorous commentary on current events. Additionally, in the season finale’s opening sketch, the stand-up comic joined James Austin Johnson as Trump to portray Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia.

Writers Celeste Yim and Rosebud Baker also announced they would not be returning to the show.

The popular sketch comedy show “SNL” has a history of reshuffling its cast, which has drawn criticism in the past, with Season 11 being referred to as the “odd season.” This was when Michael made significant changes to the player lineup. Recently, the show has aimed for more diversity, welcoming Bowen Yang as their first Chinese American cast member, Molly Kearney as their first nonbinary cast member, and Punkie Johnson as the first openly queer Black woman on the team, although the latter two only remained for a few seasons.

The 51st season of “Saturday Night Live” premieres Oct. 4.

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2025-09-02 22:01