Saturday Night Live: Who are the new cast members and hosts this season?

After losing eight beloved cast members after season forty-seven of SNL, the comedy program was busy over the summer identifying new talent to bring on the show. The new season will premier on Saturday, 1 October, with host Miles Teller and musical guest Kendrick Lamar.

When talking to Deadline behind the scenes at the Emmy’s, Lorne Micheals, the creative mind behind SNL, said that this would be a transitional year for the show, particularly after losing major stars like Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, Kyle Mooney, Chris Redd, and Pete Davidson.

“This will be a transition year. Change years are always difficult but always exciting. There are new people. There are four new people, at least for now,” said Michaels.

While there could be challenges for the show as memorable members take their exit, the cast is returning to a more traditional size. Michaels also added that during the pandemic, many cast members opted to stay at the show, meaning that the cast for the last two seasons was a bit larger than it typically is.

Who are the new four cast members?

Marcello Hernandez

The Miami-based Tik Toker will be joining the cast this year. Hernandez gained notoriety for his segment, Only in Dade, in which he covers local news. A Florida native, his parents are from Cuba and the Dominican Republic, a subject which he often incorporated into his comedy.

Hernandez has also done stand-up comedy.

Molly Kearney

Molly Kearney, a Cleveland native, joins the cast as the first openly non-binary person to be featured in the show. Kearney has been doing comedy for many years, first in Chicago and then moving to Los Angeles to continue their career.

Before the pandemic, back in 2019, Kearney was selected for “Up Next,” a comedy showcase run by Comedy Central. They later went on to star in Amazon’s A League of Their Own and Disney+’s The Mighty Ducks.

Michael Longfellow

Michael Longfellow was born in Pheonix, Arizona, but later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a comedian, actor, and writer.

Before SNL, Longfellow was selected to perform at the Netflix is a Joke festival and competed in the series “Bring The Funny,” hosted by SNL star Kenan Thompson.

This season will be Thompson’s twentieth, making him one of the longest-serving cast members in the show’s history.

Devon Walker

Devon Walker, 31, is best known for his role as a writer on the Netflix show Big Mouth. In addition to his work as a writer, he is a stand-up comedian and actor.

A native of Austin, Texas, he spent his twenties in comedy clubs around the city. After a stint performing at clubs and festivals around the country, he settled in New York City in 2019, where he recorded his own special on “Comedy Central’s Stand Up Featuring.”