SNL adds five more cast members to its 51st season

Saturday Night Live, the landmark sketch comedy show that has launched the careers of several celebrities, is kicking off its 51st season with an exciting new cast of five members, hoping to rejuvenate its loyal audience.

Ben Marshall is a comedian from Savannah, Georgia. He is also a member of the comedy trio Please Don't Destroy alongside John Higgins and Martin Herlihy. The trio was hired as writers for SNL in 2021. The comedy group is known for creating digital shorts and music videos, and also holding several live sketch comedy tours. Audiences may remember them from the 2023 comedy film Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain, in which the group wrote and starred.

Kam Patterson is a stand-up comedian from Orlando, Florida. He worked his way up from open mic nights in his hometown. Patterson gained popularity with his appearances on the comedy podcast Kill Tony, hosted by Tony Hinchcliffe. He toured with the Kill Tony crew and, in 2024, performed a show at Madison Square Garden. Patterson is also cast in the yet-unreleased Netflix comedy film 72 Hours, starring alongside Kevin Hart.

Veronika Slowikowska is an actress from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She became known for her role as vampire hunter Shanice on the FX series What We Do in the Shadows. Growing up as the daughter of Polish immigrants, she has continued along the tradition of Canadians on SNL ever since the show was created, as the creator, Lorne Michaels, is Canadian himself. Slowikowska started her career with My Chemical Bromance, a comedy troupe she founded. Her collaborations with comedian Kyle Chase on their Instagram and TikTok comedy sketches were hugely popular. She also plays Kelly in the Netflix series Tires, starring alongside Shane Gillis.

Tommy Brennan is a stand-up comedian from St. Paul, Minnesota. He grew up performing improv at Second City but later switched to standup. Since then, he has opened for Nikki Glaser and Taylor Tomlinson and has performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Brennan’s talent was recognized as the New Face of Comedy at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal. He co-created a web series and podcast with comedian Tim Smith called Roommates-in-Law.

Jeremy Culhane is a comedian from Altadena, California. He is known for his appearances in the HBO comedy The Sex Lives of College Girls and the Netflix mockumentary American Vandal. Culhane has performed with comedy subscription service Dropout TV, as well as the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles. He is also the host of the Artists on Artists on Artists on Artists podcast. Like some of the other new cast members, he is also known for his viral TikTok sketches.

However, with new cast members arriving comes current cast members leaving the show. Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Emil Walkin and Celeste Yim announced their departures from the show, as has Heidi Gardner, the longest-running female member of the recent cast.

Prithvi Sudhakar is a fourth-year student majoring in cybersecurity. To contact him, email pzs5683@psu.edu.