Saturday Night Live Just Replaced Most Of Its Cast

Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker have been added to Saturday Night Live.

By James Brizuela | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

Saturday Night Live has brought in four new cast members to its ranks: Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker. The usual case for the long-running sketch comedy show is to add two or three new members each season, but the sudden exodus of most of the cast has led to more hirings for producer Lorne Michaels. Initially, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, and Pete Davidson were all confirmed to be leaving the show, but they were soon joined by Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, and Aristotle Athari.

The usual case for Saturday Night Live is that most cast members that appear on the show begin to gain huge notoriety before they head off for other opportunities, and that is what has happened to most of the cast from the past few seasons of the show. Lorne Michaels addressed this huge change at the Emmys. According to Michaels:

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

pete davidson saturday night live

Saturday Night Live has been around for a long time, and the show always employs comedians who often head off into the world of acting. That has happened with many of the cast members in the past, and the same can be said for those who are currently leaving the show. That is especially the case for Pete Davidson, who has gone on to appear in many movies, and now has his own upcoming sitcom on NBC.

The same can be said for Kate McKinnon who had already begun her movie career while still on Saturday Night Live. She is arguably one of the funniest cast members in the history of the sketch comedy series, and we are happy that she has begun to get far more opportunities outside of being on the show.

Though it may seem like Saturday Night Live might be taking a significant hit with so many talented cast members leaving the show, Lorne Michaels can always bring in more young and willing writers and comedians to take their place. He has done so practically every season of the series, and this upcoming season is no different.

Despite the many cast members leaving, Saturday Night Live is set to start its 48th season this October, which is a massive achievement on its own. That is a huge accomplishment, and the series is still the longest-running show on television right now. The 48th season of the sketch comedy show trumps The Simpsons, which is in second place at 34 seasons.

Though it may seem that Saturday Night Live is hurting after losing so many talented cast members like Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, and Melissa Villaseñor, the show is going to be just fine bringing in new talent. In fact, these new names could also help to invigorate the show with their brand of comedy, which is something that the sketch comedy series might need right now. Despite this huge change in cast members, the show is still kicking off its 48th season on October 1st, with two planned live shows on October 8th and October 15th.