Studio 8H will reopen for new sketches on Saturday, Oct. 4, when Saturday Night Live returns for its 51st season at 11:30 p.m. Eastern, with a markedly different ensemble after a round of departures and several new additions.
NBC announced five new cast members for Season 51 — Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska — while longtime favorites including Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, Ego Nwodim and Chloe Fineman were confirmed to return. Colin Jost and Michael Che will resume their roles at the Weekend Update desk for their 12th year together.
Four cast members who had been part of recent seasons will not be back. Heidi Gardner, a main cast member since Season 45 and the longest-tenured woman on the show last season, did not have her contract renewed, according to media reports. Gardner, 42, who joined as a featured player in Season 43, has yet to publicly respond to the news. Her work on Weekend Update — including characters such as teen film critic Bailey Gismert and Angel, the archetypal boxer's girlfriend — helped define her run; she has also moved into scripted television, appearing on Apple TV+’s Shrinking.
Michael Longfellow, who joined SNL in Season 48, announced on social media that he would not return for a fourth season, saying he was grateful for his three years on the show. In an interview he said he learned he was not being asked back while at a Utah airport. Devon Walker, after three seasons, shared a reflective farewell about his time on the sketch series, calling it a mix of highs and difficulties and noting he planned to pursue other acting work. Emil Wakim, who was part of the milestone 50th season, also said he would not return, describing his single season as "the most terrifying, thrilling, and rewarding experience" of his life and expressing gratitude for the opportunity to perform there.
The five new performers bring varied backgrounds in stand-up, sketch and digital comedy. Ben Marshall, 30, moves from the show's writing staff to the main cast; he has been a writer at SNL since 2021 and frequently appeared on camera with his Please Don’t Destroy partners. Tommy Brennan, a Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy alum who has performed on The Tonight Show and at Second City, joins the ensemble. Jeremy Culhane, a performer known for viral TikTok videos and work on Dropout TV, and Kam Patterson, a stand-up comedian who gained recognition on the Kill Tony podcast and has a role in the upcoming film 72 Hours, were also added. Veronika Slowikowska, a Canadian comedian known for online sketches and parts in What We Do in the Shadows and Shane Gillis’ Tires, will make her SNL debut as well.
Producer Lorne Michaels had signaled a cast reshuffle ahead of the new season, telling press that he planned to "shake things up" and that announcements would follow quickly. The season's final roster was confirmed Sept. 8, with returning performers including Mikey Day, Sarah Sherman, Marcello Hernández, Andrew Dismukes and James Austin Johnson, as well as Season 50 newcomers Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline.
Scarlett Johansson, promoting her directorial debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, confirmed that her husband Colin Jost would return to SNL, saying simply, "He’s going back to work." Hosts and musical guests for the Oct. 4 premiere have not been announced.
Fans and castmates reacted on social media after the departures were reported, with colleagues and viewers posting farewells and well-wishes. The show’s mix of veteran performers and fresh faces continues a long-standing pattern at SNL of rotating talent while retaining established anchors such as Thompson, who will begin a record 23rd season.
Season 51 begins amid an ongoing effort by the program’s producers to refresh the ensemble while maintaining the series’ familiar elements, including the Weekend Update desk and recurring repertory players. The new cast additions and promotions will be onstage when Studio 8H resumes live comedy in October.
