SNL Adds Three New Cast Members, Seven New Writers Ahead of Season 43 Premiere

Ahead of Saturday Night Live’s season 43 premiere this weekend, NBC has announced three additions to the sketch-comedy institution’s cast. Heidi Gardner, Luke Null and Chris Redd will join the show’s Sept. 30 season opener as featured players, alongside host Ryan Gosling and musical guest Jay-Z.

Gardner performed with the Groundlings in Los Angeles and Null performed with iO Chicago, while Redd (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) is a series regular on Netflix’s Disjointed. The trio went through a number of auditions and tests in New York, Chicago and L.A. over the past month or so, per Deadline, with final cast selections being made over Emmys weekend.

Gardner, Null and Redd fill the void left behind by three significant SNL cast member departures. Bobby Moynihan, Vanessa Bayer and Sasheer Zamata all left the show—after eight, seven and four seasons, respectively—at the end of season 42. Kenan Thompson, however, will return for a record-breaking 15th season, topping Darrell Hammond’s 14-season run.

Lorne Michaels and company have also brought in new blood behind the scenes, adding seven new writers to the team. These include (via Deadline):

“ … Sam Jay (one of Comedy Central’s Comics To Watch), Gary Richardson (appeared in The Law Firm: Law & Disorder as member of the Upright Citizen’s Brigade; other credits include Spider-Man: Homecoming), Erik Marino (The Hughleys), Andrew Dismukes (performed at FunFunFun Fest, SXSW, The Out of Bounds Comedy Festival and The Moontower Comedy Festival), Steven Castillo (performed at Riot L.A.), Claire Friedman (member of The Nerdologues) and Nimesh Patel (writer for the 88th Academy Awards).”

SNL goes into its 43rd season on a roll, with ratings momentum aplenty from its standalone Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update, and nine new Emmys under its collective belt. Gal Gadot and Kumail Nanjiani are set to host the second and third episodes of the new season.

SNL returns this Saturday, Sept. 30, at 11:30 p.m. EDT, airing live from coast-to-coast. Watch a quick teaser for the season premiere below, and find Paste’s ranking of the 40 best SNL cast members ever to appear on the show right here.