Two cast members leave; three members join; two members are promoted. Saturday Night Live returns for another season. The live comedy announced their cast list for the 47th on Sept. 27 as Beck Bennet, a cast member for eight seasons, departs.
Beck Bennet was most known for routinely playing former Vice President Mike Pence. He also played characters such as Javier Bardem and the Fox News anchor, Chris Wallace.
Lauren Holt, who was only on the show for one season, is also leaving the cast. She was known as a featured player, which is most common for new performers. Most notably she appeared as Pence’s wife, Karen Pence in the Cold Open skit where Pence Gets the Vaccine.
Repertory players are the main cast of the show, and Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman were both promoted for the upcoming season. They both joined the cast in 2019. Yang received an Emmy nomination for his viral performance of the iceberg that sank the Titanic. Fineman is known for her impressions such as Drew Barrymore and Reese Witherspoon. One of her best performances is the parody of an Airbnb commercial.
Aristotle Athari, James Austin Johnson, and Sarah Sherman are new to the cast this season and enter as featured players. The other featured players are returning cast members, Andrew Dismukes and Punkie Johnson. Fourteen repertory players are returning including Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, Kenan Thompson, Kate McKinnon, Mikey Day, and more. In the finale of the 46th season, the cast reflected on creating the show in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the audience along as they remember the rollercoaster of the past season.
The 47th season debuts Saturday with first-time host Owen Wilson and musical guest Kacey Musgraves.