Official decisions have finally been shared by the highly secretive NBC staple “Saturday Night Live”: Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney and Sasheer Zamata are set to return to the cast as featured players for the upcoming season.
Mike O’Brien, who last season was upped to a featured player, will return to the writers room for the show’s landmark 40th season.
Also read: ‘SNL’ Creator Reveals Why Cecily Strong Lost Her ‘SNL Weekend Update’ Gig
Earlier on Monday, “SNL” said that 20-year-old stand-up comedian Pete Davidson is joining the cast as a featured player. This marked the final move for the season, the show told TheWrap.
As previously announced, Michael Che will come back to “SNL” from a short “Daily Show” stint to co-anchor “Weekend Update” with the returning Colin Jost. Cecily Strong, who last year worked the “Update” desk with both the departing Seth Meyers and the newcomer Jost, will continue on the show as a featured player.
Also read: Cecily Strong Responds to ‘SNL Weekend Update’ Ouster: ‘No Point in Being Angry or Sad’
Earlier this summer, comic Brooks Whelan’s contract was not renewed. Noel Wells and John Milhiser were also let go after their freshman years at NBC’s famed Studio 8H.
Additionally, veteran Nasim Pedrad elected to leave the show to join former “SNL” John Mulaney on his self-titled Fox comedy, “Mulaney.”
In another key loss to the sketch comedy show, longtime announcer Don Pardo died this summer. He was 96.