There’s a shakeup at Studio 8H.
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.
The exodus began on Aug. 25 with the departure of Devon Walker, who wrote on Instagram that sometimes his time on “SNL” was “really cool” and “sometimes it was toxic as hell.” 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.
Before the Season 51 premiere on Oct. 4, it’s possible that Lorne Michaels may enact additional roster changes. Many of the cast members from Season 50 have yet to confirm their continued tenure on the show.
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.
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Leaving: Heidi Gardner
Image Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC 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.
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Leaving: Michael Longfellow
Image Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC 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.”
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Leaving: Devon Walker
Image Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC 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.
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Leaving: Emil Wakim
Image Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC 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.”
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Leaving: John Higgins
Image Credit: Holland Rainwater/NBC 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.”
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Staying as Writer: Martin Herlihy
Image Credit: Holland Rainwater/NBC 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.”
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Cast Member: Ben Marshall
Image Credit: Andrew Thomas 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.
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New Cast Member: Veronika Slowikowska
Image Credit: Cobey Arner 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.
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New Cast Member: Kam Patterson
Image Credit: Jim McCambridge 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.
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New Cast Member: Jeremy Culhane
Image Credit: Ellyn Jameson 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.
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New Cast Member: Tommy Brennan
Image Credit: Juliet Farmer 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.
