Meet the New ‘SNL’ Cast Members (Including Two Viral TikTok Stars!)
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NEED TO KNOW
- Saturday Night Live announced on Sept. 2 that five new comedians would be added to the cast for season 51
- One of those young stars, Ben Marshall, has been a writer on SNL since 2021 and appeared in multiple skits on the show with his comedy trio, Please Don’t Destroy
- The new additions were shared days after multiple SNL cast members announced their exits
Season 51 of Saturday Night Live will feature some new faces.
Following a string of cast shakeups that saw alums like Heidi Gardner and newcomer Emil Wakim depart, NBC announced on Sept. 2 that five comedians are joining the cast as featured players: Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska.
In addition to the newcomers, returning cast members include Kenan Thompson, who alluded to “a lot of change” in the show’s future after the SNL season 50 finale.
“You want everyone to stay forever, knowing that people may be making decisions over the summer … it’s always like you want your kids to stay young,” the comedian told Page Six in May 2025. “You just never know what the future holds.”
Colin Jost, Michael Che, Bowen Yang, Chloe Fineman, Marcello Hernandez, Andrew Dismukes, Mikey Day, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman and James Austin Johnson will also return for season 51, which is set to premiere on Oct. 4.
So, who are SNL’s newest cast members? Here’s everything to know about Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska.
Tommy Brennan
Rosalind O’Connor/NBC via Getty
Since quitting his career in corporate sales to pursue stand-up comedy in 2017, Brennan has been performing in the Chicago area, per The Curve Magazine’s podcast Small Talk.
The Minnesota native was named a Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy in 2023 and made his debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in June 2025.
He credited John Mulaney with helping him realize that you “don’t have to be some really messed up person” to do stand-up and was mentored by the late Louie Anderson.
In an Instagram post announcing his new gig, Brennan wrote that it “doesn’t feel real.”
Jeremy Culhane
Roy Rochlin/Getty
Though he rose to fame for his viral TikTok skits on first dates and running, Culhane has been doing improv comedy since high school, per TCU 360.
He’s also a regular on Dropout TV and has also performed with the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles, an improv and sketch comedy troupe founded by Amy Poehler, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh in 1996.
In 2017, he appeared in the Netflix mockumentary American Vandal and has since had roles on Heathers, 9-1-1, The Sex Lives of College Girls and the film Yes Day.
The comedian, originally from California, shared his SNL news on Instagram with a caption that simply read: “Holy s— I think.”
Ben Marshall
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Since joining the SNL writing staff in 2021, Marshall has appeared on-camera in a few viral sketches with his comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy, which he formed with John Higgins and Martin Herlihy in 2017.
In addition to their work on the series, the group also released a movie, Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain, in 2023.
Sadly, Please Don’t Destroy’s run on SNL came to an end after season 50. Higgins exited the series to pursue other acting projects, and Herlihy stayed on as a writer, per Variety.
Marshall confirmed on Instagram that the trio will continue to work on other projects outside of SNL and paid tribute to the time they all spent together on the series.
“I love these boys so much,” he wrote alongside photos with Higgins and Herlihy. “I couldn’t be more grateful to have gotten into this business with my two best friends.”
He continued, “Getting to write for SNL together and make our own videos for the show was beyond our wildest dreams- and I’m so proud of everything we’ve made so far.”
The comedian, originally from Savannah, Ga., has also been nominated for four Emmys.
Kam Patterson
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Hailing from Orlando, Fla., Patterson is best known for his appearances on comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s hit podcast Kill Tony. He’s also set to star alongside Marshall in Kevin Hart’s upcoming Netflix comedy 72 Hours.
When announcing his SNL debut, Patterson gave a shout-out to Hinchcliffe’s podcast, which airs on Mondays.
“Monday nights changed my life 💫,” the comedian captioned the post, adding: “let’s see how i do on Saturdays 🫡.”
Veronika Slowikowska
Chris Saucedo/Getty
In addition to her viral skits on TikTok, Slowikowska is best known for playing Shanice in the comedy horror fantasy series What We Do in the Shadows.
She’s also appeared in Shane Gillis’ comedy show Tires, Homeschooled, Davey & Jonesie’s Locker and Poker Face.
The Canadian actress shared the casting news on Instagram and captioned the post: “dream come true 🥲 see you Saturdays.”
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
