With just a few days left before theSaturday Night LiveSeason 43 premiere, the late-night sketch comedy series has finally announced its new cast members. Heidi Gardner, Luke Null and Chris Redd have signed on as featured players in theSNL Season 43 premiere, which will be hosted by Ryan Gosling on Saturday, September 30. The show has also brought in an influx of new writers this year.
Deadlinereports that, along with Heidi Gardner, Luke Null and Chris Redd, SNL, which is coming off 9Emmy winsa few weeks ago, has also added seven new writers. The new additions to the writing staff are Sam Jay, who was named as one of Comedy Central’s Comics To Watch, Gary Richardson, an Upright Citizen’s Brigade performer who also had a small role inSpider-Man Homecoming, Erik Marino, who used to write forThe Hughleysand served as a script coordinator onWeeds, Andrew Dismukes, who makes his feature acting debut in the indieCall Me Brother, Steven Castillo, who has performed at Riot L.A., Claire Friedman, who helped oversee theLip Sync Battlefranchise and Nimesh Patel, who has written for the88th Academy Awardsand this year’s White House Correspondents Dinner.
The newSNLcast members fill the void left behind by the departure of Bobby Moynihan, who left the series after eight seasons, Vanessa Bayer who parted ways with the show after seven seasons, and Sasheer Zamata, who left after four seasons on the show. Bobby Moynihan’s CBS seriesMe, Myself and Iwas picked up to series, debuting last night. He also voices Louie Duck on Disney XD’s new animatedDuckTalesseries, while Vanessa Bayer is currently filmingIbizaalongside Richard Madden and Gillian Jacobs. Sasheer Zamata recently starred inSleightandYoga Hosers, and she will next be seen inDeidra & Laney Rob a TrainandThe Outdoorsman.
This season will also mark a new record, with Kenan Thompson appearing in his 15th season, breaking the record for longest-servingSNLcast member previously helped by Darrell Hammond, who appeared on the hit series for 14 seasons. As for the new cast members, Heidi Gardner previously wrote for the animated seriesSuperMansion, and also voiced the Cooch and Gloria characters on the series. She also lent her voice to Yasmin onBratz, and will next be seen in upcoming moviesLife of the Party, alongsideSNLEmmy winner Melissa McCarthy, Gillian Jacobs, Julie Bowen and Shannon Purser, andMaking Babieswith Eliza Couple and Ed Begley Jr.
This report also reveals that Chris Redd’s deal was quite complicated, since he currently stars on the Netflix seriesDisjointed, which is awaiting word on a second-season pickup, although the streaming service ultimately granted his release. He has also appeared on episodes ofWet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later,Love,DetroitersandEmpire, along with movies such asPopstar: Never Stop Never StoppingandFat Camp. He also hasStuckwith Felicia Day and Joel McHale in post-production, along withDark Murderalongside Jerry O’Connell. Luke Null has only one feature credit to his name, the 2011 filmThe Heart: Final Pulse, and he also performs at iO Chicago. Last season, theSaturday Night Live ratingswere, overall, higher than any season in 23 years, and those numbers could go up even more this year.
