'SNL' Adds New Comedians to Cast for Season 51

SNL fans will see several new faces when season 51 debuts in October.

On Tuesday, Sept. 2, the NBC sketch series announced five featured players are joining the cast for the show’s new season.

The new cast members are Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, Veronika Slowikowska, and Ben Marshall, who is part of the show’s writing staff and has appeared on-camera as part of the comedy trio known as the “Please Don’t Destroy.”

The casting announcement comes just days after a shakeup on the long-running NBC series.

On Aug. 28, Variety reported Heidi Gardner was leaving the late-night sketch series after 8 seasons. According to her IMDb page, Gardner has three films in production and she can currently be seen in Buffalo Wild Wings and Starbucks commercials.

Devon Walker said goodbye in an Instagram post on Aug. 25 after three seasons.

Emil Wakim announced in an Aug. 27 Instagram post that he received a call saying he was being let go.

On Aug. 28, Michael Longfellow wrote on Instagram he would not be returning for a fourth season on SNL. “Wish I was but, so it goes. It was the best three years of my life so far,” he shared.

It’s unclear at this point if there will be additional changes on the show.

Lorne Michaels created and executive produces Saturday Night Live. The show was the #1 broadcast entertainment series for the 2024-25 broadcast season in the advertiser coveted 18-49 demo.

Season 51 of SNL premieres Oct. 4 at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT, live on NBC and Peacock.

Details on the new cast members as provided by SNL are below. The image above shows (L-R) Veronika Slowikowska, Kam Patterson, Ben Marshall. (Credit: NBC).

TOMMY BRENNAN
Tommy Brennan Brennan was selected as a Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy in 2023 and has performed on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Brennan is from Saint Paul, Minn.

JEREMY CULHANE
Jeremy Culhane is known for his viral TikTok and online videos and is a regular on Dropout TV. He also performs with the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles. Culhane is from Altadena, Calif.

BEN MARSHALL
Ben Marshall joined the “SNL” writing staff in 2021 and has appeared on-camera as part of the comedy trio “Please Don’t Destroy.” Marshall is from Savannah, Ga.

KAM PATTERSON
Kam Patterson is a stand-up comedian and a regular on live comedy podcast “Kill Tony.” He can next be seen in Netflix’s “72 Hours.” Patterson is from Orlando, Fla.

VERONIKA SLOWIKOWSKA
Veronika Slowikowska is best known for viral comedy sketches that she posts on Instagram. Her acting credits include Shane Gillis’ Netflix comedy series “Tires” as well as FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows.” She was born in Canada.