SAEDNEWS: “Saturday Night Live” announced five new feature players — including veronika slowikowska and Ben Marshall — as the long-running sketch show replenishes its cast ahead of season 51, which premieres Oct. 4.
According to SaedNews, Lorne Michaels’s sketch factory has added five new faces to the cast: Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson and veronika slowikowska. The line-up blends established TV/stage experience with social-media notoriety — Marshall returns in a larger on-camera role after years as an SNL writer and occasional performer with comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy, while Culhane, Patterson and Slowikowska arrive with strong TikTok followings and recent screen credits. Slowikowska, who has also had a recurring role on FX’s What We Do in the Shadows, brings a near-seven-hundred-thousand-strong online audience to the show’s talent pool.
The hires come hot on the heels of four confirmed departures — Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker and Emil Wakim — as SNL reshapes its roster for a new era. Producers appear to be leaning into creators who already cultivate direct digital followings, reflecting broader industry trends where short-form platforms serve as feeder systems for mainstream sketch and late-night TV. Season 51 kicks off on Oct. 4, and viewers will be watching to see how quickly the new feature players settle into the iconic show’s fast, collaborative comedy machine.
New feature players
Name | Notes |
|---|---|
Ben Marshall | SNL writer since 2021 |
Veronika Slowikowska | TikTok star; recurring role on What We Do in the Shadows |
Jeremy Culhane | TikTok comedian; TV credits include The Sex Lives of College Girls, Heathers |
Kam Patterson | Stand-up comic; appears in Netflix’s 72 Hours |
Tommy Brennan | Comedy performer; past TV appearances (e.g., Tonight Show) |
SNL Season 51 premiere: October 4
