Meet the New Faces of ‘SNL’: Five Fresh Cast Members Ready to Shake Things Up!

“Saturday Night Live” is shaking things up ahead of its 51st season. Ben Marshall has been promoted to the featured cast, and four new performers are joining the show. Veronika Slowikowska, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Tommy Brennan will all appear as featured players. NBC confirmed the additions as part of a larger cast update.

The changes come after several longtime and newer cast members left the show. Heidi Gardner, who had been with SNL for eight seasons, recently departed. Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker, both with three seasons under their belts, also left. Emil Wakim, who had only been on the show for one season, announced his exit as well.

Marshall is entering his fifth year with the series. He first joined as part of the comedy group Please Don’t Destroy. One of his fellow members, John Higgins, is leaving SNL, while another, Martin Herlihy, will continue as a writer.

Slowikowska gained attention for her viral comedy sketches on Instagram, where she has over a million followers. She has also appeared on Shane Gillis’ Netflix series “Tires” and the FX show “What We Do in the Shadows.”

Culhane is active on social media and performs regularly with the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles. He also appears in Dropout TV programming.

Patterson is a stand-up comedian who frequently appears on the podcast “Kill Tony.” He will also appear in Kevin Hart’s upcoming Netflix film “72 Hours.” Brennan was named a Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy in 2023 and has performed on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Some of the departing cast members shared personal messages about leaving. Walker wrote on Instagram, “Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a f*c*e* up lil family.”

Wakim also shared his feelings: “I won’t be returning to SNL next year. It was a gut punch of a call to get but I’m so grateful for my time there. Every time I scanned into the building I would think how insane it is to get to work there. It was the most terrifying, thrilling, and rewarding experience of my life and I will miss it dearly and all the brilliant people that work there that made it feel like a home.”

Season 51 will start on NBC on October 4. This new season follows the show’s 50th anniversary, which included documentaries, a concert special at Radio City Music Hall, and a three-hour episode featuring SNL legends.

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