Lorne Michaels has finalized Saturday Night Live’s cast for season 51, which premieres October 4th. Veteran performers Kenan Thompson, the show’s longest-serving cast member, Chloe Fineman, Bowen Yang, Ego Nwodim, Mikey Day and Michael Che will return. Returning cast members Andrew Dismukes, Marcello Hernandez, James Austin Johnson, Sarah Sherman, Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline join five newcomers: Ben Marshall, Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska. Marshall from comedy group Please Don’t Destroy becomes a cast member, though the group’s taped sketches will end. The show lost several performers this summer including Heidi Gardner, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim and Michael Longfellow. Annual cast changes are traditional for SNL as Michaels regularly adds new talent. (Story URL)
