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TX State | Culture > Entertainment

How The SNL Cast Member Hunt Has Changed

Maddie Bogan Student Contributor, Texas State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TX State chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

If you pay attention to pop culture, you probably know that digital comedy personalities, Grace Reiter and Saidah Belo-Osagie, have been cast in Saturday Night Live for the 52nd season. You might also know that Veronika Slowikowska and Jeremy Culhane joined the season before that, and Jane Wickline joined the season before that. This phenomenon of finding comedians generally known for their social media presence is fairly new, and it is a signifier of a cultural shift. 

The Way Things Were

Before the dawn of short-form content, the primary method of finding potential cast members was a more extensive process. SNL creator Lorne Michaels and his team of talent scouts would travel to different regions in hopes of finding the funniest people they could. They would focus on improv groups, like those who came from The Second City in Los Angeles, or The Groundlings in Chicago. By going this distance, Michaels and his team countlessly struck gold. This was the main approach for years, and they still do this now, but it is more sidelined when you consider the existence of TikTok.

TikTok’s Place In The SNL Sphere

I was familiar with all of the names I mentioned prior to their casting announcements, only because of TikTok. Namely, I would always watch Grace Reiter on the American High Shorts account, and I used to see clips from Jeremy Culhane’s contributions to the improv company known as Upright Citizens Brigade (co-founded by SNL alum Amy Poehler). What all of these “TikTok” cast members have in common is that their sketch comedy and improv work was being posted on this app and seen by many. This is why people, especially those who are younger, are familiar with the cast members before they set foot in Studio 8H. Comedy has become more accessible over time, which means it is more accessible to SNL talent scouts.

Some individuals don’t like this notion, but I would argue that because of TikTok and the internet in general, getting to easily see the work of these comedians is both inspiring and entertaining. So, if you aren’t already following Reiter, Belo-Osagie, Slowikowska, Culhane, and Wickline on TikTok, then find their accounts and give them a follow immediately. 

Maddie Bogan

TX State '29

Maddie is a sophomore at Texas State, and this is her first semester as a Her Campus writer. She is a Sociology major and a Communications minor, and she also works as a music journalist for KTSW 89.9. She enjoys writing about media and the culture of society. In her spare time, she is usually watching TV or a movie, reading, or hanging out with her friends.