Introducing the Newest ‘SNL’ Cast Members

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Early last month, it was announced that Saturday Night Live cast members Jay Pharoah, Taran Killam and John Rudnitsky had not had their contracts renewed. Anyone familiar with SNL knows that the show is a revolving door of talent. Some cast members rise and fall over the course of a season, some stick around to become fan-favorites over the course of years; regardless, everyone’s tenure ends eventually, leaving a void that must be filled. Well, after a month of deliberation, the show has finally found its three new cast members.

On Monday afternoon, SNL announced that comedians Mikey Day, Melissa Villaseñor and Alex Moffat had all been brought on board for the show’s upcoming 42nd season. While there’s still a few weeks left until the comics make their SNL debut, we do know a little about each of these potential future stars.

Mikey Day, up until today, was actually a writer for SNL, a position he’s held since 2013. On top of that, he was the head writer for fellow Lorne Michaels-project Maya and Marty, and has written a few episodes of Adult Swim classic Robot Chicken. His live-acting credentials are a bit sparse — his on-screen time consists of a few bit parts, an appearance in a Maya and Marty sketch and appearances on Nick Cannon shows Wild ’n Out and Short Circuitz (yikes) — but he’s a solid writer and no stranger to improv (having started his career with The Groundlings), so he’s got a lot of potential to make it big.

Melissa Villaseñor is arguably the least-known of the group. A finalist on America’s Got Talent, this comedian, impressionist and actress is better known for her voice. She  blew the judges and audience away while on AGT with her impressions of celebrities like Barbara Walters, Kathy Griffin and Christina Aguilera, and has since lent her talents to hit shows like Family Guy, Adventure Time and Trip Tank. Villaseñor is funny, likable and animated, all assets that will help her during her tenure at SNL. She’s also  been apart of the Más Mejor’s roster since January 2016, producing 8 videos including “Christina Aguilera Singing Class” and “Owen Wilson – Daily Itineraries.”

Alex Moffat is an alumnus of venerated Chicago comedy institution The Second City, which has produced some of the greatest comedic minds over the past 50 years, from Stephen Colbert and Dan Akroyd to Tina Fey and Chris Farley. He made his feature film debut last year in the indie crime drama Uncle John, and even crossed paths with NBC once before when he wrote and starred in a pilot for the network.

And yes, these three appear to be the only ones picked up by SNL. Various outlets like the New York Daily News and  Flavorwire and The Interrobang picked up reports that Chicago comedian Chris Redd had been added to the show’s roster, but it appears that those reports were false. I’m sure nobody is more disappointed about that than poor Chris Redd, but he would have made an excellent addition to the cast. Perhaps the mistaken reports will put him back on Lorne’s radar and you never know….

All three comics are promising young talents, and all specialize in a different facet of comedy. This unique mix of writing, improv and impressionist talent (combined with the veteran cast) could prove to be a potent mixture come October 1st, when Saturday Night Live’s 42nd season premieres.

We’ll have to wait and see how this plays out for Moffat, Villaseñor, Day and SNL, but until then, let’s so congratulations to the newbies!

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Bill Tressler

Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.
Bill Tressler
Bill Tressler
Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.