After a string of departures, Saturday Night Live has confirmed its Season 51 cast, with Bowen Yang, Kenan Thompson, and Weekend Update co-hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che among those set to return.
According to multiple reports, much of last year’s main cast will be back at Studio 8H this fall, including Ego Nwodim, Chloe Fineman, Marcello Hernandez, Andrew Dismukes, Sarah Sherman, and James Austin Johnson (who, of course, handles the show’s all-important Donald Trump impression). Two of last year’s new featured players, Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline, are also returning, though it’s unclear if they’ve been promoted to the main cast. (Reps for SNL did not immediately return a request for comment.)
The confirmation that Jost and Che are returning, as well, comes after a lot of speculation that Season 50 might be their last. Jost has been working at SNL since 2005 when he was hired as a writer, and he’s been a cast member for 12 seasons now, making him the fourth longest-serving cast member in the show’s history. Che, meanwhile, joined SNL in 2013 as a writer and was named Jost’s co-anchor the following year. The pair are the longest-serving Weekend Update anchors, with Season 51 set to mark their 12th season together behind the desk.
SNL is also set to welcome many new featured players this year, including Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska. Ben Marshall, who spent the past several years primarily doing pre-tape sketches as part of the comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy, was also promoted to the featured players cast.
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With all these new additions, SNL also saw a number of departures. The biggest exit was Heidi Gardner, who enjoyed a very successful eight-year run on the show. During season 49, she participated in more sketches than any other cast member, and she was the longest-tenured female cast member during Season 50.
Devon Walker and Michael Longfellow are also departing after three seasons, and Emil Wakim after one season. Marshall’s promotion to the cast also marked an end for Please Don’t Destroy on SNL, with John Higgins set to depart the show and Martin Herlihy joining the writing staff.
