‘SNL’ Season 51 Cast: Who Left, Who Joined and Who Stayed
The shakeup at Studio 8H is complete.
A handful of “Saturday Night Live” cast members have left the show as a slew of new faces arrive ahead of the NBC sketch series’ 51st season. But most of the longest-tenured cast members have stayed on for at least another season, including Bowen Yang, Ego Nwodim and Mikey Day.
This year’s mini exodus began on Aug. 25 with the departure of Devon Walker. Then came announcements from Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow and Heidi Gardner, who exited “SNL” after eight seasons.
Please Don’t Destroy has been split up on the show, as Ben Marshall joins the main cast, Martin Herlihy becomes a writer and John Higgins exits, sharing that he will pursue other acting opportunities. Newer voices in comedy, such as Veronika Slowikowska and Kam Patterson, join “SNL” for their first season.
Colin Jost and Michael Che continue their runs as the longest-tenured “Weekend Update” anchors, and Kenan Thompson will return for a record-breaking 23rd season on-air.
Below, read about all the cast members who have left and joined “SNL” ahead of Season 51. Check back here for updates on who is staying on the sketch comedy series.
The longest-tenured cast members, Kenan Thompson returns to “Saturday Night Live” for his 23rd season. The unbreakable vet is behind some of the series’ funniest sketches, from “What Up With That?” to “Black Jeopardy!,” and he’s impersonated everyone from Steve Harvey to David Ortiz to Whoopi Goldberg.
Ego Nwodim returns for her eighth season on “SNL.” She’s known for her steak-sawing character Lisa From Temecula, and her hacky comedian character Miss Eggy draws rapturous in-studio applause on “Weekend Update.”
Colin Jost and Michael Che, the longest-running hosts of “Weekend Update,” will spend their 12th season behind the desk. With their biannual “joke swap,” the co-anchors introduced a new tradition at “Weekend Update” in which they make each other deliver risky, never-before-seen jokes live on-air.
Bowen Yang is staying at Studio 8H for his seventh season on the sketch comedy show. The first openly gay Asian American cast member, Yang made “SNL” history by becoming the show’s first featured player to be nominated for an Emmy. He was promoted to the main cast after two seasons, and he has become known for his witty “Weekend Update” characters like George Santos, Chinese trade representative Chen Biao and a flamboyant take on the iceberg who sank the Titanic.
Chloe Fineman comes back for her seventh season on “SNL.” Throughout her time on the show, the celebrity impression expert has taken on everyone from Timothée Chalamet and Jennifer Coolidge to Nicole Kidman and Drew Barrymore.
Marcello Hernández will return for his fourth season on “Saturday Night Live.” The 28-year-old comic is best known for the viral “Bridesmaid Speech” sketch in which he played the mysterious suitor Domingo. The character became a surprise sensation, making it all the way to a Sabrina Carpenter concert in Los Angeles. Hernández’s other notable roles include Marco Rubio, the Movie Guy and one-half of the Couple You Can’t Believe Are Together.
Mikey Day has reached the double-digit club on “SNL,” returning for his 10th season on the show. A versatile comedic actor, Day can anchor a sketch as the straight man, or make Heidi Gardner laugh uncontrollably with just one glance in the “Beavis and Butt-Head” sketch. Day also delivered a recurring impression of Donald Trump Jr. alongside Alex Moffat as Eric Trump.
Known for her eccentric characters and body-horror bravado, Sarah Sherman will return for her fifth season on “SNL.” The alt-comedian previously known as Sarah Squirm has played characters like Chuck Schumer and a woman who has singing meatballs growing from her body. She also enjoys giving Colin Jost a hard time on “Weekend Update.”
James Austin Johnson has been re-elected to the cast of “Saturday Night Live” for his fifth term… er, season. The impressionist who plays Donald Trump has nailed the president’s rambling tangents, drifting into strange topics like Super Mario and Scooby-Doo in many a cold open. Johnson has taken on other politicians as well — like Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell — and he also does a good Bob Dylan.
Andrew Dismukes returns to “SNL” for his sixth season on the cast. A strong utility player on the sketch show, Dismukes is known for playing dry, often awkward or geeky characters. His memorable sketches include “Airplane Song” with Josh Brolin, “The Loser” with John Krasinski and “Forbidden Romance,” in which he covers Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister” on a ukulele.
Season 50 newcomer Ashley Padilla will return for her second season on “Saturday Night Live.” On “Weekend Update,” she delivered a offbeat spin on Joann of Joann Fabric and Crafts, and in the “I Got One” sketch, she played an obnoxious dinner guest who can’t stop cracking bad jokes.
Jane Wickline also returns after one season on “Saturday Night Live.” She made her “Weekend Update” debut on the second episode of Season 50 with her quirky, keyboard-backed song “Party,” and she returned to the desk later in the season to perform a song from the perspective of Sabrina Carpenter asking why none of her fans theorize about her sexuality.
Ben Marshall has been upped to main cast member of “Saturday Night Live” after four seasons of being a writer and member of the comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy, which produced pre-recorded digital shorts for the series. Marshall and Please Don’t Destroy are known for playing themselves in offbeat and often self-deprecating sketches with celebrity guests like Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny. He is represented by WME, Mosaic, Ziffren Brittenham LLP and Kovert Creative.
Veronika Slowikowska joins the cast of “Saturday Night Live” for its 51st season. She is well-known for her internet comedy sketches with her partner Kyle Chase. As an actor, she has appeared in Shane Gillis’ Netflix comedy “Tires” as well as “What We Do in the Shadows.” She is represented by UTA, The Characters Talent Agency and Artists First.
Kam Patterson is a “Saturday Night Live” newcomer who is best known for his stand-up comedy. Patterson is a regular on Tony Hinchcliffe’s “Kill Tony” podcast, and his style is raunchy and irreverent. He’ll next be seen in the Netflix comedy “72 Hours” alongside Kevin Hart and his new “SNL” castmates Marcello Hernández and Ben Marshall. Patterson is represented by WME, Brillstein and Fox Rothschild LLP.
Jeremy Culhane joins “Saturday Night Live” in Season 51. He is known for his satirical comedy style showcased in viral TikTok videos, as well as his work with the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles. Culhane is also a regular on Dropout TV, and he’s appeared in “American Vandal” and “The Sex Lives of College Girls.” He is represented by Clear Talent Group and AFA Prime Talent Media.
Tommy Brennan first popped off as a Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy in 2023. He joins “Saturday Night Live” for his first season after working as a stand-up comedian and performing improv at Chicago’s famed Second City. He has also opened for comics such as Nikki Glaser and Taylor Tomlinson, and he’s appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” He is represented by UTA and Mosaic.
Heidi Gardner is leaving “Saturday Night Live” after eight seasons. She was the longest-tenured current female cast member, and she appeared in the most sketches in Season 49. Gardner was well-known for her “Weekend Update” characters including the teen movie critic Bailey Gismert and Angel, “every boxer’s girlfriend from every movie about boxing ever.” She also appeared in the “Beavis and Butt-Head” sketch, in which she famously could not hold in her laughter at the sight of Mikey Day and Ryan Gosling dressed as the cartoon characters.
Michael Longfellow joined “SNL” in Season 48 and became known for his sardonic segments on “Weekend Update,” where he bantered with Colin Jost about topics like Real ID and having conservative family members. Confirming his exit on Instagram, Longfellow wrote on Aug. 28, “Will not be returning for a 4th season at SNL. Wish I was but, so it goes. It was the best three years of my life so far. I feel nothing but gratitude for the experience and everyone there. Lorne, you gave me the greatest job in the world and changed my life. You even put my mom on TV. Thank you doesn’t begin to cover it, but thank you. I’ll miss it all, but I’ll miss the friends I made and seeing them everyday the most.”
Devon Walker joined “SNL” in 2022 and departs after three seasons. He became best-known on the NBC sketch comedy series for his impressions of New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Michael Strahan. “Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell,” Walker wrote on Instagram. “But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a fucked up lil family.” Read Walker’s exit interview with Variety here.
Emil Wakim was let go after one season on “SNL.” The Season 50 newcomer was known for playing Luigi Mangione, as well as Mohammad bin Salman in a sketch alongside James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump. Wakim made his “Weekend Update” debut talking about his Christian Arab heritage and the misconceptions that people have about him. “I won’t be returning to ‘SNL’ next year,” Wakim wrote on Instagram. “It was a gut punch of a call to get, but I’m so grateful for my time there.” He thanked executive producer Michaels and said he was “excited for whatever chapter comes next. Here’s to making more art without compromise.”
John Higgins exits “Saturday Night Live” after four seasons. He was one-third of the comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy, which wrote and performed in pre-recorded sketches often featuring celebrity hosts. He will remain in Please Don’t Destroy with Ben Marshall and Martin Herlihy, but the group will no longer perform on “SNL.” Higgins wrote in a statement posted to Instagram, “I can’t believe how lucky I was to be a part of this show … I’m excited to pursue acting opportunities that I’ll announce soon but today I’m just grateful for everything we got to do.”
After four years on-screen with the comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy, Martin Herlihy will remain on “Saturday Night Live” as a writer. He joined “SNL” in Season 47 alongside his collaborators Ben Marshall and John Higgins, with whom he also starred in the film “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain.” The group will remain a comedy trio but will no longer perform together on “SNL.”
A handful of “Saturday Night Live” cast members have left the show as a slew of new faces arrive ahead of the NBC sketch series’ 51st season. But most of the longest-tenured cast members have stayed on for at least another season, including Bowen Yang, Ego Nwodim and Mikey Day.
This year’s mini exodus began on Aug. 25 with the departure of Devon Walker. Then came announcements from Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow and Heidi Gardner, who exited “SNL” after eight seasons.
Please Don’t Destroy has been split up on the show, as Ben Marshall joins the main cast, Martin Herlihy becomes a writer and John Higgins exits, sharing that he will pursue other acting opportunities. Newer voices in comedy, such as Veronika Slowikowska and Kam Patterson, join “SNL” for their first season.
Colin Jost and Michael Che continue their runs as the longest-tenured “Weekend Update” anchors, and Kenan Thompson will return for a record-breaking 23rd season on-air.
Below, read about all the cast members who have left and joined “SNL” ahead of Season 51. Check back here for updates on who is staying on the sketch comedy series.
The longest-tenured cast members, Kenan Thompson returns to “Saturday Night Live” for his 23rd season. The unbreakable vet is behind some of the series’ funniest sketches, from “What Up With That?” to “Black Jeopardy!,” and he’s impersonated everyone from Steve Harvey to David Ortiz to Whoopi Goldberg.
Ego Nwodim returns for her eighth season on “SNL.” She’s known for her steak-sawing character Lisa From Temecula, and her hacky comedian character Miss Eggy draws rapturous in-studio applause on “Weekend Update.”
Colin Jost and Michael Che, the longest-running hosts of “Weekend Update,” will spend their 12th season behind the desk. With their biannual “joke swap,” the co-anchors introduced a new tradition at “Weekend Update” in which they make each other deliver risky, never-before-seen jokes live on-air.
Bowen Yang is staying at Studio 8H for his seventh season on the sketch comedy show. The first openly gay Asian American cast member, Yang made “SNL” history by becoming the show’s first featured player to be nominated for an Emmy. He was promoted to the main cast after two seasons, and he has become known for his witty “Weekend Update” characters like George Santos, Chinese trade representative Chen Biao and a flamboyant take on the iceberg who sank the Titanic.
Chloe Fineman comes back for her seventh season on “SNL.” Throughout her time on the show, the celebrity impression expert has taken on everyone from Timothée Chalamet and Jennifer Coolidge to Nicole Kidman and Drew Barrymore.
Marcello Hernández will return for his fourth season on “Saturday Night Live.” The 28-year-old comic is best known for the viral “Bridesmaid Speech” sketch in which he played the mysterious suitor Domingo. The character became a surprise sensation, making it all the way to a Sabrina Carpenter concert in Los Angeles. Hernández’s other notable roles include Marco Rubio, the Movie Guy and one-half of the Couple You Can’t Believe Are Together.
Mikey Day has reached the double-digit club on “SNL,” returning for his 10th season on the show. A versatile comedic actor, Day can anchor a sketch as the straight man, or make Heidi Gardner laugh uncontrollably with just one glance in the “Beavis and Butt-Head” sketch. Day also delivered a recurring impression of Donald Trump Jr. alongside Alex Moffat as Eric Trump.
Known for her eccentric characters and body-horror bravado, Sarah Sherman will return for her fifth season on “SNL.” The alt-comedian previously known as Sarah Squirm has played characters like Chuck Schumer and a woman who has singing meatballs growing from her body. She also enjoys giving Colin Jost a hard time on “Weekend Update.”
James Austin Johnson has been re-elected to the cast of “Saturday Night Live” for his fifth term… er, season. The impressionist who plays Donald Trump has nailed the president’s rambling tangents, drifting into strange topics like Super Mario and Scooby-Doo in many a cold open. Johnson has taken on other politicians as well — like Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell — and he also does a good Bob Dylan.
Andrew Dismukes returns to “SNL” for his sixth season on the cast. A strong utility player on the sketch show, Dismukes is known for playing dry, often awkward or geeky characters. His memorable sketches include “Airplane Song” with Josh Brolin, “The Loser” with John Krasinski and “Forbidden Romance,” in which he covers Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister” on a ukulele.
Season 50 newcomer Ashley Padilla will return for her second season on “Saturday Night Live.” On “Weekend Update,” she delivered a offbeat spin on Joann of Joann Fabric and Crafts, and in the “I Got One” sketch, she played an obnoxious dinner guest who can’t stop cracking bad jokes.
Jane Wickline also returns after one season on “Saturday Night Live.” She made her “Weekend Update” debut on the second episode of Season 50 with her quirky, keyboard-backed song “Party,” and she returned to the desk later in the season to perform a song from the perspective of Sabrina Carpenter asking why none of her fans theorize about her sexuality.
Ben Marshall has been upped to main cast member of “Saturday Night Live” after four seasons of being a writer and member of the comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy, which produced pre-recorded digital shorts for the series. Marshall and Please Don’t Destroy are known for playing themselves in offbeat and often self-deprecating sketches with celebrity guests like Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny. He is represented by WME, Mosaic, Ziffren Brittenham LLP and Kovert Creative.
Veronika Slowikowska joins the cast of “Saturday Night Live” for its 51st season. She is well-known for her internet comedy sketches with her partner Kyle Chase. As an actor, she has appeared in Shane Gillis’ Netflix comedy “Tires” as well as “What We Do in the Shadows.” She is represented by UTA, The Characters Talent Agency and Artists First.
Kam Patterson is a “Saturday Night Live” newcomer who is best known for his stand-up comedy. Patterson is a regular on Tony Hinchcliffe’s “Kill Tony” podcast, and his style is raunchy and irreverent. He’ll next be seen in the Netflix comedy “72 Hours” alongside Kevin Hart and his new “SNL” castmates Marcello Hernández and Ben Marshall. Patterson is represented by WME, Brillstein and Fox Rothschild LLP.
Jeremy Culhane joins “Saturday Night Live” in Season 51. He is known for his satirical comedy style showcased in viral TikTok videos, as well as his work with the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles. Culhane is also a regular on Dropout TV, and he’s appeared in “American Vandal” and “The Sex Lives of College Girls.” He is represented by Clear Talent Group and AFA Prime Talent Media.
Tommy Brennan first popped off as a Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy in 2023. He joins “Saturday Night Live” for his first season after working as a stand-up comedian and performing improv at Chicago’s famed Second City. He has also opened for comics such as Nikki Glaser and Taylor Tomlinson, and he’s appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” He is represented by UTA and Mosaic.
Heidi Gardner is leaving “Saturday Night Live” after eight seasons. She was the longest-tenured current female cast member, and she appeared in the most sketches in Season 49. Gardner was well-known for her “Weekend Update” characters including the teen movie critic Bailey Gismert and Angel, “every boxer’s girlfriend from every movie about boxing ever.” She also appeared in the “Beavis and Butt-Head” sketch, in which she famously could not hold in her laughter at the sight of Mikey Day and Ryan Gosling dressed as the cartoon characters.
Michael Longfellow joined “SNL” in Season 48 and became known for his sardonic segments on “Weekend Update,” where he bantered with Colin Jost about topics like Real ID and having conservative family members. Confirming his exit on Instagram, Longfellow wrote on Aug. 28, “Will not be returning for a 4th season at SNL. Wish I was but, so it goes. It was the best three years of my life so far. I feel nothing but gratitude for the experience and everyone there. Lorne, you gave me the greatest job in the world and changed my life. You even put my mom on TV. Thank you doesn’t begin to cover it, but thank you. I’ll miss it all, but I’ll miss the friends I made and seeing them everyday the most.”
Devon Walker joined “SNL” in 2022 and departs after three seasons. He became best-known on the NBC sketch comedy series for his impressions of New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Michael Strahan. “Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell,” Walker wrote on Instagram. “But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a fucked up lil family.” Read Walker’s exit interview with Variety here.
Emil Wakim was let go after one season on “SNL.” The Season 50 newcomer was known for playing Luigi Mangione, as well as Mohammad bin Salman in a sketch alongside James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump. Wakim made his “Weekend Update” debut talking about his Christian Arab heritage and the misconceptions that people have about him. “I won’t be returning to ‘SNL’ next year,” Wakim wrote on Instagram. “It was a gut punch of a call to get, but I’m so grateful for my time there.” He thanked executive producer Michaels and said he was “excited for whatever chapter comes next. Here’s to making more art without compromise.”
John Higgins exits “Saturday Night Live” after four seasons. He was one-third of the comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy, which wrote and performed in pre-recorded sketches often featuring celebrity hosts. He will remain in Please Don’t Destroy with Ben Marshall and Martin Herlihy, but the group will no longer perform on “SNL.” Higgins wrote in a statement posted to Instagram, “I can’t believe how lucky I was to be a part of this show … I’m excited to pursue acting opportunities that I’ll announce soon but today I’m just grateful for everything we got to do.”
After four years on-screen with the comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy, Martin Herlihy will remain on “Saturday Night Live” as a writer. He joined “SNL” in Season 47 alongside his collaborators Ben Marshall and John Higgins, with whom he also starred in the film “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain.” The group will remain a comedy trio but will no longer perform together on “SNL.”