All the Cast Changes Saturday Night Live Made for Season 51

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Saturday Night Live always looks at least a little different from year to year.

When the long-running NBC show returns for its 51st season on October 4th, there will be a noticeable absence. Lisa from Temecula, a beloved cast member, will no longer be there to cause playful trouble, and her departure leaves a void among other missed favorites at Studio 8H.

As is often the case with executive producer Lorne Michaels, while he adds talent, he also makes difficult decisions about personnel. To create opportunities for new performers on SNL, some long-standing cast members had to leave the show.

The show consistently attracts viewers of all ages and backgrounds, which is key to its continued success,” Lorne explained to Entertainment Tonight while on the Emmys red carpet last month. “It’s always difficult when cast members move on, but that’s a natural part of the process.”

Though that might depend on who you’re asking, and whether they thought it was their time or not.

Former cast member Devon Walker, who appeared for three seasons, was the first to leave, announced on August 25th. He was soon followed by Emil Wakim after only one season, Michael Longfellow after three (with some talk that he could become the new Weekend Update anchor), and Heidi Gardner after eight seasons.

Shortly after it appeared most cast members had departed, Ego Nwodim, who had been with the show for seven years, announced her departure. She shared the news on Instagram Stories, writing that “the hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight.”

Right in the middle of changes happening at Please Don’t Destroy, the comedy group shared that they were taking a break from making their popular videos for SNL, as they were exploring other projects.

That leads us to the five new cast members who will be appearing live from New York City on Saturday night, alongside host Bad Bunny and musical performer Doja Cat.

Our featured player, Ben Marshall, who was a writer for SNL in 2021, is best known as one of the members of the comedy group Please Don’t Destroy. (Another member of Please Don’t Destroy, Martin Herlihy, will continue writing for the show, but John Higgins is departing.)

Oh my gosh, you guys, I’m still reeling! Instead of just, like, enjoying his success, Ben immediately gave a shout-out to where he started! He posted on Instagram on September 2nd, and it was EVERYTHING. He wrote, “This is a new chapter, but we’re not going to stop working together anytime soon…PDD 4 ever.” Seriously, PDD 4 ever? I’m not crying, *you’re* crying! It just shows how loyal he is, even after everything. I’m so obsessed!

Hearing their names announced by Darrell Hammond for the very first time on October 4th will be Tommy Brennan, age 31, Jeremy Culhane, 33, Kam Patterson, 26, and Veronika Slowikowska, 29.

Tommy and Kam perform stand-up comedy. Jeremy gained popularity on TikTok, and Veronika, who was born in Canada, has appeared in shows like What We Do in the Shadows and Tires.

Not to mention, Lorne thinks they’re funny.

“Change is a positive thing,” said the 24-time Emmy winner to ET. “I’m genuinely enthusiastic about the new people joining us.”

You never know – the new person on the show today could be an Oscar winner tomorrow (or even in 30 years!). Check out all the big stars who began their careers on SNL:

Role: Cast member
Time on SNL: 1985-1986

Before he became famous as Robert Downey Jr. in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he was a member of the Saturday Night Live cast.

The Iron Man star was only on the show for its 11th season, joining SNL the same year Lorne Michaels returned after a five-year absence. A Peacock documentary, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night , referred to this time as “The Weird Year,” describing it as a difficult period where Lorne was working to prevent the show from being canceled.

As Robert explained on The Howard Stern Show in 2016, “We weren’t really making a big impact.”

Despite this, the Oscar winner remembers that time “fondly,” and considers it to be “great training.” He even told Howard Stern that returning to host SNL in 1996 was “probably the most exciting week you can have on Earth.”

Role: Featured performer
Time on SNL: 2004 to 2005

For help with achieving your goals, you might want to ask Rob Riggle. The Let’s Be Cops actor once shared how he shifted from pilot training to purposefully working towards a spot on SNL.

He remembered that he’d never given up on anything before. On a 2024 episode of the Diggin’ Deep Podcast, he explained, “I told myself, ‘If I’m going to quit something, it has to be for a really good reason. It needs to be worth it. So, what should I aim for?’ I immediately wrote down ‘I’m going to get on Saturday Night Live‘ in my notebook.” Ten years, two military deployments, a marriage, and a child later-almost exactly in September 2004-he landed a spot on Saturday Night Live. He believes it’s important to write down your goals, commit to them, and then make them happen.

Actually, Saturday Night Live was how Rob began his career in entertainment.

“Saturday Night Live was my very first job,” he shared in a 2023 interview with The A.V. Club, “and it really felt like a dream come true.”

Role: Featured performer
Time on SNL: Less than a season in 1989

Ben Stiller’s time on Saturday Night Live was brief-really brief.

Actually, according to The New York Times, the Zoolander star only appeared in four episodes of the sketch comedy show. He still remembers how Lorne Michaels reacted when he decided to leave.

“He was like, ‘OK. Ben’s going to do what Ben’s going to do,’” he imitated Lorne’s voice on the January 2025 episode of The New York Times’ The Interview podcast. “It wasn’t ideal, but I realized I wasn’t suited for live performance.”

Ben explained he “got too anxious” on the show, “didn’t have fun,” and preferred making short films. He was also eager to create The Ben Stiller Show on MTV in the 1990s.

“Being on Saturday Night Live had always been a dream of mine,” the Severance director said, reflecting on his choice to leave, “but looking back, I’m not sure how I found the courage, but I trusted my gut.”

Even so, Ben has returned a few times-hosting in 1998 and 2011, and making unexpected appearances over the years.

Role: Writer
Time on SNL: 1987 – 1995

Did you know Bob Odenkirk used to write for Saturday Night Live? The star of Better Call Saul actually wrote the iconic sketch featuring the late Chris Farley as Matt Foley-the motivational speaker who lived in a van by the river.

Bob remembers writing it himself in his Chicago apartment while performing with Second City. He shared on The Howard Stern Show in 2021, “It’s one of the few sketches-and I’ve written thousands-that turned out exactly as I imagined when I first wrote it. The motivational speaker just flowed out perfectly, and Chris, of course, took it to another level.”

Bob even won an Emmy for his writing on SNL, though he later reflected on his behavior during that time.

On an episode of PeopleTV’s Couch Surfing in 2021, Bob admitted, “I wish I hadn’t been such a conceited young man. I had a fantastic opportunity there, and while I made the most of it-learning a lot about comedy and making lifelong friends-I wish I’d handled things with more grace. But isn’t that something we all say about our younger selves?”

Role: Featured performer
Time on SNL: Two cameos, one in 1981 and one in 1988

You might not recall seeing Laurie Metcalf on Saturday Night Live, and that’s understandable – she only made two short appearances. She once shared with Late Night host Seth Meyers, who is also an SNL alum, that her first appearance was in 1981, doing a segment interviewing people on the street. Her second was in 1988, when she starred in a sketch called “Laurie Has a Story” alongside Catherine O’Hara.

The Lady Bird actress also told Vulture in 2019, “It feels like a dream because it was so long ago and a really fast-paced five days in New York.” She added, “I think it was actually my first time ever visiting New York. I didn’t know anyone, and they put me up in a hotel. They dressed me in a business suit and sent me out on the street with a small camera crew. I was totally out of my comfort zone and had no idea what I was doing. But I know I did it because there is proof, there’s footage. When I watch it, I realize I was pretty naive, but also brave. I just thought, Okay, you want me to do this? Okay, let’s go.

Role: Writer
Time on SNL: 1984-1985

Oh my god, you will *not* believe the story of how Larry David quit Saturday Night Live! It’s legendary.

He explained it himself on The Howard Stern Show in 2015, and honestly, I was dying. He said his sketches would always kill during the read-throughs, but then they’d *always* get cut, week after week. And then, one night, at 11:25 – five minutes before airtime! – another one of his sketches got the axe. He just snapped!

He walked right up to executive producer Dick Ebersol and unleashed a total rant. He said, and I quote, “This fking show stinks. It stinks! It’s st! I’m done! I’m gone! Fk this! I’m out!” Seriously, a *total* meltdown.

But get this – as he was walking home in the cold, he realized what he’d done and how much money he’d lose! So, the next week, he just… went back to work like nothing happened. Can you believe it?

He told Howard that there’s a writers’ meeting every Monday, and he just walked in and sat down. Everyone had heard about the outburst, of course. And when the producer went around asking what everyone was working on, Larry just casually said, ‘Well, I’m thinking of doing this circus sketch.’

He actually *kept* his job! He stayed for another year! And, even better, it’s where he met Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who would become the star of Seinfeld!

Over the years, Larry has hosted SNL twice and made so many guest appearances, including his hilarious impression of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Role: Cast member
Time on SNL: 1982-1985

Though Julia Louis-Dreyfus is famous for her work on Seinfeld and Veep, some may not realize she spent three years as a cast member on SNL. She was even hired while still in college.

However, the actress-whose husband Brad Hall also worked on SNL-has said she didn’t particularly enjoy her time on Saturday Night Live.

“I didn’t have tons of fun,” she told Andy Cohen in a 2020 interview on Radio Andy. “But I did learn a lot. I was very young, only 21. I went into it quite unprepared, so I picked things up quickly.”

Julia described SNL as like “grad school” for comedy, explaining that it influenced her future career choices.

“It helped me clarify my priorities,” she added. “I realized that performing on SNL wasn’t as enjoyable as doing improv and Second City back in Chicago. I needed to find that kind of fun, and if I couldn’t, I wouldn’t continue with the show.”

Despite this, Julia has returned to SNL several times-making history in 2006 as the first former female cast member to host, and hosting the show two more times after that.

Role: Featured performer
Time on SNL: Less than a season in 1986.

Damon Wayans‘ time on Saturday Night Live wasn’t very long. He even shared that he was let go after only seven shows.

“Eddie Murphy had just departed,” the My Wife and Kids star explained on a 2020 episode of The Breakfast Club. “So Lorne Michaels was trying, he thought, to shield me from comparisons to Eddie Murphy. I told him, ‘Give me a chance to perform, or let me go. Fire me from the team.’ He wouldn’t let me showcase my talents, so during a live show, I deliberately changed my character. I wanted to get fired.”

Damon explained that he altered his character to be a “very flamboyant gay police officer” in a sketch that parodied Miami Vice, called Mr. Monopoly.

“I did it with the wrong intentions,” he continued, “and he was right to let me go. He was justified in firing me, and he did so immediately.”

Despite the circumstances, things ultimately worked out for Damon.

“He actually asked me to host once, which was great,” the actor added. “I needed that opportunity to pave the way for In Living Color. Everything I was attempting on Saturday Night Live, I was ultimately able to accomplish on In Living Color.”

Role: Featured performer
Time on SNL: 2009 – 2010

Jenny Slate didn’t enjoy her time on Saturday Night Live.

“When I joined SNL, the experience was very difficult-really disappointing,” the actress explained on Off Camera with Sam Jones in 2017. “It had some good moments, and everyone was kind, but I was very disappointed in myself. It had been a childhood dream. When I got there, I realized I wasn’t a good fit for the environment. I didn’t like it, I felt uncomfortable, and I didn’t expect it to be so cautious. I thought Belushi, Gilda Radner-those people would be wild. But it’s just a television show.”

Ultimately, Jenny was on the show for only one season.

“After I was fired, I felt incredibly humiliated-by my own behavior, because I wasn’t strong or happy-and I assumed everyone cared. But nobody fing cares at all,” she continued.

The I Want You Back star said she “couldn’t get over it” and developed stage fright, which caused her to stop doing stand-up for a while. However, she refused to give up on her passion and told Sam Jones that she used hypnosis to overcome her stage fright.

“I won’t let that experience ruin the one thing I do on my own,” she added.

Role: Featured performer
Time on SNL: 1993-1994

Although Sarah Silverman only spent one season on the show, she fondly remembers her year at Saturday Night Live.

“I really enjoyed my time there,” the comedian shared on a January 2025 episode of The Tonight Show, hosted by fellow SNL veteran Jimmy Fallon. “I got along with everyone, and I was very eager. I was just surprised by how the adults acted. I was young, and I couldn’t believe how people were behaving. There were even physical fights back then. But it was amazing.”

She also still remembers a peculiar activity she used to do in her office.

“I discovered a craft where you could soak tampons in water and then throw them at a wall, where they would stick and stay,” Sarah explained. “They’d stay there permanently.”

Or at least for a long time.

“I returned to SNL 10 or 15 years later,” she continued, “and I asked [producer] Mike Shoemaker about it, and he told me they were still in my office! It was true!”

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2025-10-04 17:19