‘SNL’ Season 52 Cast Is Official: Departures, Additions, and Returning Stars
‘Saturday Night Live‘ has established a cultural rhythm with its annual cast changes, and fans eagerly anticipate each summer’s departures and new hires as the show approaches its fall premiere. This tradition continues into Season 52, although this year’s announcement arrived later than usual, with the cast typically finalized by early September.
The wait is now over. Variety has confirmed the complete cast lineup for Season 52, detailing who has left, who is returning, and who is stepping into Studio 8H for the first time as the show prepares for its premiere on September 26.
The most significant news involves two new featured players joining the ensemble: Grace Reiter and Saidah Belo-Osagie. Their addition rounds out the cast following a series of high-profile departures that have reshaped the lineup ahead of the new season.
Three notable names are missing from the returning roster. Bowen Yang left midway through Season 51 in December, while Chloe Fineman announced her exit in July after seven seasons. Martin Herlihy, a member of the sketch trio Please Don’t Destroy who transitioned to a writing role, is also departing after five seasons since joining in 2021.
Herlihy’s exit marks the second member of that sketch group to leave the show, following John Higgins’s earlier departure before Season 51. Fineman’s exit makes her the second major Season 51 star to depart after Yang, continuing a period of significant turnover for the ensemble.
Grace Reiter, a stand-up comedian and actor from Wisconsin, joins the cast after gaining a substantial following on TikTok and YouTube. She has also appeared in Tim Robinson’s HBO comedy series ‘The Chair Company’ and is part of American High’s sketch team, making her the first ‘SNL’ cast member born in the 21st century, having been born in 2001.
Saidah Belo-Osagie, a Nigerian American filmmaker and comedian from Queens, now based in Brooklyn, completes the new additions. She is recognized for writing and directing the short film ‘Tinge,’ creating the event series ‘Afrobeats Futura,’ and developing her solo show, ‘Saidah Gets Closure.’ Notably, her casting marks the first Black woman to join the cast since Ego Nwodim’s departure after Season 50, addressing a gap that producers prioritized filling.
In addition to the new hires, the show’s veteran core remains intact for the new season. Kenan Thompson, Michael Che, Colin Jost, and Mikey Day are all returning, along with Andrew Dismukes, Marcello Hernández, James Austin Johnson, and Sarah Sherman. Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline, who joined during Season 50, have both been promoted to full repertory status this season.
All five featured players from last season are also returning, including Ben Marshall, Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska. This continuity provides the show with a stable foundation despite the notable exits at the top of the roster.
‘Saturday Night Live’ Season 52 is set to premiere on September 26 on NBC and Peacock, with Jalen Brunson hosting and Katseye as the musical guest for the opening episode. With the full cast now officially confirmed, fans finally have a complete view of what this season’s ensemble will look like as the new year approaches.
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