Saturday Night Live (SNL) is back from its summer hiatus, with hosts Bad Bunny and Amy Poehler kicking off the first two episodes of season 51. After the conclusion of its 50th season, it was announced to fans of the show by creator Lorne Michaels that there would be some ‘cast shake-ups’ that were necessary for the show’s renewal.
Five cast members were revealed to be leaving the show; some chose to leave, while others were involuntarily let go from their roles. Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner, who spent seven and eight years, respectively, on the cast, were the only SNL veterans who chose to leave the show. Fans beloved both women for their over-the-top commitment to sketches, and their departures came as a surprise. Additionally, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, and Emil Wakim were not invited to rejoin the cast of season 51. Longfellow and Walker spent three years on the show, while Wakim only joined the cast for season 50. These departures were a surprise to fans, especially Michael Longfellow, who was rumored to take over the Weekend Update segment if Colin Jost and Michael Che did not return.
With the departure of these five, though, the show hired five new cast members: Tommy Brennan, Kam Patterson, Veronika Slowikowska, Jeremy Culhane, and Ben Marshall. If that last name sounds familiar, it’s likely because Marshall was a writer and a member of Please Don’t Destroy, a comedy group composed of Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy. They had created popular sketches on the show, but this season, Marshall is being promoted to a featured player, while Herlihy remains a writer, and Higgins has left the show entirely. Tommy Brennan got his start at Second City Improv in Chicago, as did many SNL alumni, from Dan Aykroyd to Tina Fey. He has opened for comedians Nikki Glaser, Taylor Tomlinson, and Louie Anderson, and made his first television appearance this past June on The Tonight Show.
Kam Patterson, who has already been featured on Weekend Update, gained popularity after appearing on the Kill Tony podcast with his one-minute stand-up pieces. He will also be appearing in Kevin Hart’s upcoming movie, 72 Hours, alongside cast members Ben Marshall and Michael Longfellow. Veronika Slowikowska gained admiration from her sketches on TikTok featuring her Kyle-Mooney-esque comedy style. She appeared on What We Do in the Shadows in 2019, as well as Homeschooled and Davie and Jonesie’s Locker. Finally, Jeremy Culhane, who was the first cast member to appear on screen this season, has appeared in American Vandal and Sex Lives of College Girls.