The 5 New SNL Cast Members For Season 51 (2025) You Need To Know Now

The iconic late-night sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live (SNL), continues its tradition of injecting fresh comedic talent into its ranks, and the newest additions for Season 51, which premiered in the fall of 2025, represent a fascinating blend of stand-up veterans, viral sketch artists, and digital short masters. This latest wave of featured players—Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska—brings a diverse array of comedic voices to the legendary Studio 8H, promising a new era of memorable sketches and digital shorts. Their backgrounds, ranging from the competitive Chicago stand-up scene to the viral world of TikTok and the beloved digital shorts of "Please Don't Destroy," ensure the show remains current and cutting-edge. The anticipation for their breakout moments is high as they join the ranks of SNL legends.

The addition of these five comedians to the Season 51 cast, which currently features returning repertory players like Kenan Thompson, Colin Jost, and Heidi Gardner, marks a significant shift in the show's dynamic. As of December 2025, fans are already seeing how the newcomers are fitting in, with some, like Kam Patterson, making an immediate impact on "Weekend Update." This deep dive explores the unique comedy pedigree of each new featured player, providing a comprehensive look at the talent poised to define the next generation of Saturday Night Live.

Meet the New Featured Players: SNL Season 51 (2025) Cast Profiles

The transition into a featured player role on Saturday Night Live is a career-defining moment. Here is a detailed look at the five comedians who have joined the main cast for the 2025-2026 season, bringing their distinct styles and fan bases to the show.

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• Tommy Brennan:
  • Role: Featured Player (Season 51)
  • Background: Stand-up comedian.
  • Hometown: St. Paul, Minnesota.
  • Career Highlights: Began his comedy career in Chicago. He was recognized as a "New Face" at the prestigious Just For Laughs festival in 2023. Brennan is known for his observational humor and relatable stage presence, honed through years in the competitive stand-up circuits of the Midwest and New York.
• Jeremy Culhane:
  • Role: Featured Player (Season 51)
  • Background: Sketch, Improv, and Viral Video Comedian.
  • Education: Alumnus of Texas Christian University (TCU).
  • Career Highlights: Gained significant traction as a viral TikTok comedian, known for his hilarious characterizations and sharp comic timing. He is also a regular performer on the Dropout platform, which features popular improv and sketch comedy shows. His experience in digital and live sketch comedy makes him a versatile asset to the SNL team.
• Ben Marshall:
  • Role: Featured Player (Season 51)
  • Background: Digital Short Writer and Sketch Comedian.
  • Career Highlights: Marshall is one-third of the highly successful and critically acclaimed sketch comedy trio, Please Don't Destroy (PDD), alongside John Higgins and Martin Herlihy. PDD joined SNL as writers and producers of digital shorts in 2021. His promotion to featured player is a unique move, signaling a potential shift in the show's focus on cast members who are already established writers and digital stars.
• Kam Patterson:
  • Role: Featured Player (Season 51)
  • Background: Stand-up Comedian.
  • Career Highlights: Rose to prominence through his frequent and memorable appearances on the popular, high-pressure stand-up comedy podcast, Kill Tony, hosted by Tony Hinchcliffe. Patterson's distinct deadpan delivery and unique perspective have made him a breakout star in the stand-up world. He has already made a splash on SNL with appearances on the "Weekend Update" segment, where his stand-up sensibilities shine.
• Veronika Slowikowska:
  • Role: Featured Player (Season 51)
  • Background: Actress, Sketch, and Viral Comedian.
  • Hometown: Barrie, Ontario, Canada.
  • Career Highlights: A Canadian Screen Award (CSA) winning actress and a viral internet sensation, particularly on TikTok, known for her character-based sketches. She is an alumna of the Canadian Film Centre's Actors Conservatory. Her strong acting background and proficiency in creating short, engaging digital content make her perfectly suited for both live sketches and pre-taped segments.

The Blurring Lines: From TikTok to Studio 8H

The path to becoming an SNL cast member has fundamentally changed, moving far beyond the traditional improv theater circuit of The Groundlings or Second City. The Season 51 newcomers exemplify this modern evolution, demonstrating how digital platforms are now essential proving grounds for comedic talent.

Comedians like Jeremy Culhane and Veronika Slowikowska utilized the power of short-form video on platforms like TikTok and Instagram to cultivate massive, engaged audiences. Their ability to create instantly recognizable characters and quickly executed sketches translates directly to the fast-paced world of Saturday Night Live. This trend highlights SNL's commitment to staying relevant to younger viewers who consume comedy primarily through social media.

Similarly, Ben Marshall’s promotion from the Please Don't Destroy (PDD) trio to a featured player is a landmark moment. PDD, known for their surreal and often self-deprecating digital shorts, has been a cornerstone of SNL's pre-taped content since 2021. Marshall's move confirms the value of the digital short format and the show's willingness to integrate successful writers directly into the performing cast. This strategic elevation ensures the show retains the creative minds behind some of its most viral and popular segments, like "Missing Person" and "Jonas Brothers."

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Stand-Up's Strong Presence: Kam Patterson and Tommy Brennan

While digital comedy is on the rise, Saturday Night Live has not forgotten its roots in stand-up and live performance. The additions of Kam Patterson and Tommy Brennan ensure a strong connection to the raw, unfiltered energy of the stand-up stage.

Kam Patterson, in particular, represents a new generation of stand-up talent that found an audience through non-traditional media. His appearances on the Kill Tony podcast gave him a massive, dedicated following, which he has successfully converted into immediate recognition on SNL. His early success on "Weekend Update," the show's news parody segment, demonstrates the show's intent to let his unique stand-up voice shine through.

Tommy Brennan's journey is more aligned with the classic stand-up grind, starting in the highly competitive Chicago comedy scene before moving to New York. His recognition as a "New Face" at Just For Laughs, a major comedy festival, speaks to his strong foundation in joke writing and stage presence. Brennan’s inclusion provides the cast with a solid, traditional stand-up background, which is crucial for the show's live format and topical humor. These two featured players bring a necessary grounding in live audience engagement, a skill that is irreplaceable in the world of live television.

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Topical Authority and Future Impact on SNL

The Season 51 cast additions are not just new faces; they are a strategic move by executive producer Lorne Michaels to future-proof the show. By recruiting talent from diverse comedic ecosystems—stand-up (Brennan, Patterson), digital sketch (Culhane, Slowikowska), and internal promotion (Marshall)—SNL is broadening its topical authority across multiple demographics. The show is now better equipped to tackle cultural touchstones from the world of viral internet trends, the political sphere, and the traditional theater stage.

The promotion of Ben Marshall is a major indicator of the show's internal evolution. The PDD trio's success has been instrumental in keeping SNL's digital content fresh and relevant. His new role as a featured player opens the door for more PDD-style sketches to be integrated into the live show, potentially bridging the gap between digital and stage performance.

Furthermore, the inclusion of Canadian talent like Veronika Slowikowska adds an international flavor and a different cultural perspective, enriching the show's comedic palette. Her background as a CSA-winning actress ensures she has the dramatic chops necessary for more complex character work, a staple of classic SNL sketches. The blend of these specialized talents—from stand-up to character acting, and long-form writing to short-form viral hits—suggests that Season 51 will be a dynamic and unpredictable year for Saturday Night Live, solidifying its status as the premier launching pad for comedic superstars.

Key Comedic Entities and LSI Keywords for Season 51

• Please Don't Destroy (PDD)
• Kill Tony Podcast
• Weekend Update
• Studio 8H
• Lorne Michaels
• Featured Players
• Digital Shorts
• Stand-up Comedy
• Sketch Comedy
• Improv
• Just For Laughs
• Second City
• The Groundlings
• TikTok Comedians
• Dropout Platform
• TCU Alumnus
• Canadian Screen Award (CSA)
• Viral Content
• Comedy Background
• SNL Season 51
• Tommy Brennan stand-up
• Jeremy Culhane characters
• Ben Marshall promotion
• Kam Patterson delivery
• Veronika Slowikowska acting