SNL: The Current Cast Discussion

[vb68]

I'm not really sure what to make of this.    Kyle gets a promotion to the main cast, but Beck doesn't?  That seems like a diss to me.  I know Al Fraken stayed as a featured player, but he was also a writer and a big behind the scenes player.  I can't think of any other regular cast member who spent more than two seasons as a featured performer.

 

If this is true, I think the handwriting is on the wall for Beck.

[Princess Sparkle]

That...is surprising to me. If I honestly had to guess which of the featured players would get a full promotion, Kyle wouldn't have been my first guess - I think he's really shined this past year, but I thought there were always rumors that he wasn't Lorne's favorite, but I guess those were incorrect. I follow Aidy on Instagram, and interestingly enough, she and Kyle appear to be quite good friends, so that might help; it's interesting where being friends with the right people can help (and I get the feeling that Aidy is very beloved in the writers room; she's quite a strong writer). Plus, instead of it being "Beck and Kyle" off on their own doing Good Neighbor sketches, it helps Kyle get into other cast sketches. I noticed them using him more and more towards the end of last season.

I'm happy for him, but like you vb68, I'm curious about what this means for Beck, and by extension, Sasheer (she debuted the same year, albeit four months later). It's not surprising that Leslie, Pete, Michael and Colin would stay as featured, but for Beck and Sasheer to not make it up isn't great for them. I'm trying to remember if there's been a case of featured players not being promoted at the regular schedule, and still becoming full cast members later. I can think of the ones promoted early (like Amy Poehler), but I'm struggling to find some promoted late.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Princess Sparkle

[formerlyfreedom]

According to the Wikipedia Saturday Night Live cast members page, it does look like Tim Meadows, David Spade, and Adam Sandler did spend three years as featured players, all at the same time. But it doesn't seem anyone else has.

[vb68]

I know it's still early, but I'm already getting that John Milhiser/Brooks Wheelan vibe with the new guy this season.   He rightfully got called out for that truly awful Anderson Cooper impression (using that word loosely), and it feels like they have deliberately sidelined him ever since then.    I just mean you can generally tell when a new person is working like Pete and Leslie last year or even Beck and Kyle Mooney.   And i do not have that feeling so far with Jon Rudnitsky.

Edited November 23, 2015 by vb68

[peeayebee]

The new guy looks a lot like Colin. It confuses me.

[Princess Sparkle]

The new guy looks a lot like Colin. It confuses me.

I had the same thought when I saw him -  he looks like Colin's less attractive little brother.  There was a picture on the SNL instagram of the two of them wearing a similar shirt, and they really could pass for brothers, but I feel like even in that photo, the new guy had a look on his face that said "yeah....I should enjoy this while it lasts, because I won't be around."

[lou ann b]

In the past decade, featured players that jumped out at me at first sight were Bill Hader,Jay Pharaoh,Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones,and Pete Davidson.They just had the "it" quality.New guy seems nice,but it's not there.

[BatmanBeatles]

 

New guy seems nice,but it's not there.

Every week I forget he exists.

[BatmanBeatles]

Last night i watched two skits impersonating Kathy Lee Gifford. One with Cheri Oteri and one with Kristen Wiig. I think Kristen nailed it better.

[vb68]

I was just listening to the current Not Ready For Primetime podcast, and Mike Ryan threw out some Inside Baseball on why Darrell is playing Trump.   It was basically happenstance.  In the Fey- Poehler episode, it was actually suppose to be Jimmy Fallon playing Trump as a surprise, but something happened at the last second.  They already had Taran set as Cruz, so they just had Darrell step in.  And the reaction was huuuuuge as someone says.

[Princess Sparkle]

I was just listening to the current Not Ready For Primetime podcast, and Mike Ryan threw out some Inside Baseball on why Darrell is playing Trump.   It was basically happenstance.  In the Fey- Poehler episode, it was actually suppose to be Jimmy Fallon playing Trump as a surprise, but something happened at the last second.  They already had Taran set as Cruz, so they just had Darrell step in.  And the reaction was huuuuuge as someone says.

That also kind of says to me that they realized Taran-as-Trump wasn't working out so well.  Otherwise, you could have Jimmy in a cameo for someone other than Trump if you really wanted him on, and if they liked Taran's imitation.  

 

That, or they were thinking Cruz might end up with the nomination, and wanted Taran in there to carry them through the election season that way.  I guess it could be a little of Column A, a little of Column B.

[cpcathy]

Darrell's Trump really does rule, I think they did realize how much the audience wants him as Trump, much like they realized that Jay's Obama was so much better...and more appropriate.

[VCRTracking]

I don't watch The Bachelor but apparently the latest contestant to leave, Lace, was someone a lot of people thought looked like Cecily Strong, specifically her character "The Girl you wish you hadn't started a conversation with at a party":

 

 

 

And Cecily was told about this a few weeks ago at mentioned it in her instagram:

 

Also, I've never been texted more about having a twin on tv and I'm actually 1000% flattered. If Lace and I don't win this fucking thing, I'm gonna kinda blame myself but also I'm gonna more blame all of these other women holding us back. Stop being jealous. Let me and Lace be us. Kisses and roses- that's gotta be our focus right now.

 

Edited January 21, 2016 by VCRTracking

[peeayebee]

Cecily was on an ep of the new show Angie Tribeca. It was just a small part, and I wasn't sure it was her at first because her character's face was frozen from too much botox.

[VCRTracking]

I saw that. I loved when she tried to drink orange juice and it dribbled because her mouth couldn't move!

[Ms Blue Jay]

The latest Bachelor sketch had thinly veiled imitations of the contestants, and Cecily is basically imitating her doppelganger Lace.

[vb68]

 

Because she is a standup comedian and not an actor and her update bits are basically her doing standup, albeit while sitting down.

 

 

I was thinking about this comment from the Ronda Rousey episode, and how that it really says something that Jon Rudnitsky is not even getting those appearances on Update when he's a stand up as well.  Brooks Whelan got a few of those.  I think it's very telling.

[helenamonster]

I have a feeling I'm going to come across a rerun from this season on VH1 5 years from now or something, see Jon Rudnitsky, and wonder to myself for a good while who he is. What a pointless hire.

[nowandlater]

If all goes as expected, SNL will have 2 40-something cast members by this time next year.

[vb68]

Sounds to me like this is indirectly saying Kenan is done after this season to transition to Maya's show.  I guess it's possible it's just a summer show, though.

[Peace 47]

Huh. I thought that Maya's last variety special didn't set the world afire, ratings-wise or critically, and so I was a little surprised to read in that article that they are doubling down on a series. I did think Maya and Martin had great comedic chemistry on the 40th anniversary special. I hope this works out for them, although I will definitely miss Keenan on SNL when (if) he leaves. He pretty consistently makes me laugh, and he's king of the reaction shot. He's actually one of my favorites.

I really hate being negative, but I have to say that Sasheer and Jon are the weakest cast links for me. Sasheer has a nice singing voice, and maybe it's the writing, but I've never laughed at anything she has done. She always plays the "wallpaper" character in a sketch. Jon may need some time to develop, but he's kind of a nonentity to me these days, save his (as someone put it in the episode thread) somewhat offensive Anderson Cooper impression earlier this year.

[absnow54]

Kenan's all over the variety show map this year, and will also participate in the All That 22nd Reunion show (although it looks like it's just going to be segments played through an All That marathon and not an actual special.) 

[BatmanBeatles]

After what I witnessed on The View this week, now more than ever, I think Jay nails Ben Carson. Carson even made his hands look like a dinosaur.

[Bruinsfan]

I thought Rudnitsky was great in that debut sketch with Miley Cyrus, but he's either been a non-entity or utterly cringeworthy since then.

 

Last night i watched two skits impersonating Kathy Lee Gifford. One with Cheri Oteri and one with Kristen Wiig. I think Kristen nailed it better.

As much as I hate Wiig's original characters and spotlight hogging in general, I must admit she goes all-in for her celebrity impressions and does a great job. She was always a treat on those Vincent Price holiday specials, and her Kathy Lee and Suze Orman skits were superb.

[Traveller519]

So being the train-wreck observer that I can be, I wandered over to Twitter to see if Jon had anything to mention about his missed cue, only to find his previously notorious Twitter is gone. The last mentions of @jonrudnitsky were from March 22 at a comedy show, leading me to believe that his account was active as of that time. I'm guessing he deleted it before this past weekend's episode, but the timing doesn't help.

 

Having a functional Twitter account is nearly a requirement for young comedians these days. Though I note Pete got rid of his, with his focus on his Instagram, and Cecily got rid of hers a few seasons ago. Maybe with the bigger following and the lightning rod SNL can be, they find it better to work through Instagram where you need a bit more thought and effort to get something on screen.

 

At any rate, you have to think Jon was on thin ice previously. He doesn't bring anything truly new to a cast that's already too big. And this week can't help. Heck, when the next most recent cast member played both his part and your part for the first scene, it's gonna sting.

[helenamonster]

I'm not one to throw accusations around (oh who am I kidding, of course I am) but I had a quick fleeting thought that his late entrance might have been deliberate, or at the very least willfully negligent (as in he wasn't paying attention backstage and didn't care when his cue was), as opposed to an honest mistake. Cuz like...I don't think he was in any sketches before that one, so it's not like he had a tricky quick change. So where was he? I fully acknowledge there's no merit to this, but the whole thing was so bizarre I had to consider it.

 

That's interesting that he deleted/suspended his Twitter. He's not very active on Instagram (maybe I should check if he's even still there?). He'll post screenshots from the quick five seconds when he is in a sketch but that's about it.

 

And while I agree that it's important, and almost necessary, for up-and-coming comedians to have a strong social media presence these days, I have to give it up to Kate for avoiding social media completely and still managing to carve out what looks to be a burgeoning successful career. If Ghostbusters does well and her performance gets attention, I wouldn't be surprised if she checks out of this show early for other opportunities.

[JZL]

If Kate leaves, the show will be severely damaged.  The cast is relatively strong right now, but as indicated in comments above, there are holes.  Some of the new folks are not working out, or not working into sketch performers. 

Edited April 7, 2016 by JZL

[absnow54]

The current cast is not short on talent, but the chemistry between performers is not there. I think Kate, Aidy, and Cecily are the only cast members who have really gelled (and maybe Taran Killam) so Kate leaving would be a big loss. I'm not too worried about her going though, as Lorne has held onto a lot of his breakout stars long after they've hit it big (Ferrell, Wiig, Poehler...) I think he's made it worth their while to stay after he lost most of his original cast to Hollywood.

[LJonEarth]

Sasheer seems really sweet, but as someone said in another thread "what is her forte?" Now that I've heard her off of SNL, in standup and on This American life, I see that, even when she is doing or saying something funny it's lost in her quiet flat affect. It seems like a waste of budget just to have someone around who doesn't really have something unique to contribute. There have been plenty of others like her in the past and most didn't last this long. She reminds me of when I would look up and still see Finesse Mitchell.

Edited May 12, 2016 by LJonEarth

[Janimo]

I just saw this ad about three minutes ago and was soooo ecstatic. I was yelling out loud (to myself) "OH MY GOD!!! It's Leslie Jones!!"  I'm still doing a happy dance. Good on her for the exposure.

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/ABA9/allstate-pure-power-featuring-leslie-jones

[formerlyfreedom]

It's that time of year! Changes are starting to be announced...

Cast member/Year started

• Kenan Thompson/2003
• Bobby Moynihan/2008
• Vanessa Bayer/2010
• Taran Killam/2010-2016 - Leaving
• Jay Pharoah/2010-2016 - Leaving
• Kate McKinnon/2012
• Aidy Bryant/2012
• Cecily Strong/2012
• Kyle Mooney/2013
• Beck Bennett/2013
• Sasheer Zamata/2014
• Colin Jost/2014
• Michael Che (f)/2014
• Pete Davidson(f)/2014
• Leslie Jones (f)/2014
• Jon Rudnitsky (f)/2015-2016 - Leaving

Edited August 9, 2016 by saoirse

[Trini]

Both of them are good, but I'm really surprised they'd let go Taran!

[vb68]

 I mentioned this in the Maya and Marty thread, but I wonder if this is a door opening for Mikey Day.

[questionfear]

10 hours ago, Trini said:

Both of them are good, but I'm really surprised they'd let go Taran!

I saw an article where Taran indicated he wanted to stay the year, but they terminated his contract early, possibly because his other projects conflicted with the SNL schedule.

[BoogieBurns]

So Jay, the POTUS doesn't get to finish out his term? I know he's about to be a lame duck, but I needed just a little bit more. 

[nowandlater]

50 minutes ago, questionfear said:

I saw an article where Taran indicated he wanted to stay the year, but they terminated his contract early, possibly because his other projects conflicted with the SNL schedule.

If they really wanted him, they would've found a way to work with his schedule. As I mentioned in the other thread, Bill Hader spent part of his final season only working half-weeks while he shot a movie with Larry David.

So would it be awkward to bring Fred Armisen back to do Obama, since he already works in the building (and for Lorne on 2 other shows)?

Edited August 9, 2016 by nowandlater

[Princess Sparkle]

So, if Beck is a shoe-in for a Mike Pence impression (I'm guessing he is), does that mean Kyle is currently busting his ass trying to nail a Tim Kaine impression?  Without Taran, I'm trying to think of who could fill that Tim Kaine role - I can't see Pete in there at all and I don't see Colin moving over to sketches.  I suppose Bobby could test one out, but Kyle looks slightly more like him.  With Taran gone, this could be an opportunity for Beck and Kyle to really bust out.

[Dev F]

34 minutes ago, nowandlater said:

So would it be awkward to bring Fred Armisen back to do Obama, since he already works in the building (and for Lorne on 2 other shows)?

It would only be awkward in the sense that his Obama impression is unwatchably terrible. Armisen's performances are almost always built on a baseline of self-conscious mugging that to me has always clashed with the real Obama's cool, detached vibe.

[vb68]

So with Jon R gone, the slate is clear for four or five new featured performers.  ( Leslie, Pete, and Che have done their two season stints as featured and now move to the main cast.)  

I think I'm going to miss Taran's chemistry with Bobby the most.  They are best friends, and I loved when they nerded out over a host like Michael Keaton or the Star Wars opening.  Plus no more Jebidiah or that wonderful French dancing sketch. 

Edited August 9, 2016 by vb68

[Dancingjaneway]

I can't believe we are losing Taran and Jay but keeping Brooks Whelan and fucking Kyle Mooney! Ugh. I can't say I'm out though because Leslie, Aidy, Kate & Vanessa are still there and I love them so much!

[Traveller519]

Wow! Those are both big moves. Jon, was...not a shock.

I think I read somewhere that Jay didn't do a single Obama Impression last year on the show. I wonder why the writers were steering clear of that.

Taran was as close to THE featured player as there was. He did a bunch of skits every week.

[izabella]

1 minute ago, Traveller519 said:

I think I read somewhere that Jay didn't do a single Obama Impression last year on the show. I wonder why the writers were steering clear of that.

He was busy doing Ben Carson and LeBron.

Can't believe we're losing Taran!  They could have gotten rid of Sasheer, Beck, Kyle and Jay and I wouldn't have noticed, but Taran is a big loss.  No more Jebediah and we've hardly seen him lately!

[formerlyfreedom]

22 minutes ago, Dancingjaneway said:

Brooks Whelan

He didn't come back after his first year. Was there an announcement he's returning?

[Traveller519]

I feel like Jebediah had pretty much run his course. Not unlike Principal Frye, actually.

[nowandlater]

Re: Mike Pence and Tim Kaine: I bet they will never do a sketch featuring them.

[AdorkableSars]

3 hours ago, Princess Sparkle said:

So, if Beck is a shoe-in for a Mike Pence impression (I'm guessing he is), does that mean Kyle is currently busting his ass trying to nail a Tim Kaine impression?  Without Taran, I'm trying to think of who could fill that Tim Kaine role - I can't see Pete in there at all and I don't see Colin moving over to sketches.  I suppose Bobby could test one out, but Kyle looks slightly more like him.  With Taran gone, this could be an opportunity for Beck and Kyle to really bust out.

 

I was kind of thinking this might open some doors for Michael Che to be in some sketches, because I thought he did great in the ones he was in last year. (Like you said, I don't really see Jost moving over to sketches.) However, according to The AV Club, it's expected that several new cast members will be introduced before the new season...which meh. A positive that I was taking from the departures of Taran/Jay/Jon is that I thought it was a good thing that they seemed to have shrunk the cast a bit, and it might give other people more opportunities. 

(On a somewhat related note, maybe Beck could do the Tim Kaine role?)

[Traveller519]

2 minutes ago, AdorkableSars said:

 

(On a somewhat related note, maybe Beck could do the Tim Kaine role?)

Heh, the only time you really need the two of them together is the VP Debate (if there even are any debates), having beck pivot and play both parts would be good, but probably not something radical enough for SNL to try with its political humor.

[Princess Sparkle]

8 minutes ago, AdorkableSars said:

 

I was kind of thinking this might open some doors for Michael Che to be in some sketches, because I thought he did great in the ones he was in last year. (Like you said, I don't really see Jost moving over to sketches.) However, according to The AV Club, it's expected that several new cast members will be introduced before the new season...which meh. A positive that I was taking from the departures of Taran/Jay/Jon is that I thought it was a good thing that they seemed to have shrunk the cast a bit, and it might give other people more opportunities. 

(On a somewhat related note, maybe Beck could do the Tim Kaine role?)

I would actually love to see Che in some more sketches, so I hope you're right about that.  I still get the giggles thinking of his intro during the "NFL Football Intros" sketch they had when Chris Pratt hosted: "I was accused of sexual assault at THE Ohio State University!".  He made a great Hakeem too when they did the Empire sketch.

[vb68]

Quote

Re: Mike Pence and Tim Kaine: I bet they will never do a sketch featuring them.

I disagree.  They will do the debate.  (And with Leslie, they no longer have to ask Queen Latifah back to play Gwen Ifill, who usually moderates it.)

[cpcathy]

But I loved Latifah as Gwen Ifill!

Anyway, this makes me sad, we're losing some great characters. I still adore Jebediah. Taran's intensity while cracking up still makes me laugh.

And the VP debate sketches have become instant classics, the most recent one with Sudeikis and Taran as Paul Ryan (drinking from his giant hamster water bottle!) was hilarious.