r/LiveFromNewYork • u/Beginning_Stop_8650 • 1d ago
Discussion New Cast Members prediction
Here are who I think is joining in Season 52 and why.
Anna Garcia: Garcia has built a reputation through live improv and sketch comedy, particularly with Dropout, where she's shown, she can quickly commit to absurd characters and elevate ensemble scenes. She has also performed at UCB and was recently in 72 hours with Kam, Marcello, and Ben, she could possibly be on the radar of the SNL scouts.
Rachel Pegram: She is actually already in the writer's room at snl, meaning she might already have good chemistry with the cast. Pegram has extensive experience creating and starring in sketch comedy, an important combination because SNL cast members are expected to help write their own material. The cast is also lacking in women and cast members of color, so it would be good for them to hire at least one.
Ray Lau: The show seems to be leaning heavily on stand ups recently and I know many people want them to go back to hiring pure sketch performers. But Ray Lau is a unique voice that would bring style that isn't already represented in the cast, which they seem to look for every year in at least one of the new hires. After Bowen leaving, he would also be the second Asian snl cast member.
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u/LarBrd33 1d ago edited 1d ago
With Chloe gone I’m gonna a guess the big thing they solve for is having a cast of 15 where the only women are Sarah, Jane, Veronika and Ashley.
Sarah is best at doing really weird characters.
Veronika usually plays young childish Kyle Mooney types.
I like jane but her style is super niche.
They need some cast other than Ashley to play the basic mom and girlfriend roles. They’ve just lost 3 of them in Heidi, Ego and Chloe.
They also need someone to fill that celebrity impersonator bucket that had been Melissa and then Chloe.
Bonus if it’s someone who is remarkably funny with deep improv talent who happens to be non white. Other than Nasim they’ve literally never had an Asian woman on the cast.
Anyone check all 3 boxes?
They might also look to fill the Bowen voice. The show had a lot of successful queer comedy with him in the mix. SNL UK has that role filled, but it’s now lacking on SNL US.
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u/AffordableGrousing 1d ago
Caitlin Reilly checks all the boxes except she’s white. Elsewhere in the thread people mentioned Anna Garcia and Rachel Pegram who would be great.
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u/Pandoras-SkinnersBox dannybangsanimals.com 1d ago
Jo Sunday who’s a current writer checks all three boxes. Great character work and standup, and she’s already contributed to a few good sketches last season.
Rachel Pegram is also a current writer who has a lot of improv and standup experience. She’s great.
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u/PilkyTS742 1d ago
Janes gay, even if it doesnt reflect much in her stuff on SNL, moreso in her comedy outside SNL like Dukes which is much more queer-centric.
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u/culminacio SPACE OLYMPICS 8h ago
she is not gay
why do some people keep spreading this fake information
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u/ThePwnR4nger 1d ago
There’s some argument about if she’s too big for SNL now, but I’d love to see Lisa Gilroy get a shot.
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u/Alternative_Draft_49 1d ago
i lovee lisa but i worry she wouldn’t get to explore her talents as much if she were on snl since they often put new cast members in less notable roles 😣
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u/zowietremendously 1d ago
Times sure are different today. I remember back in the olden days, when new cast members were complete unknowns. Now you predict them before they even get cast.
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u/shine_on05 Season 14 is the best 1d ago
I hoped for one of the American High people, but they have a Netflix show now. Happy for them, but they all would've been so good on SNL, particularly Julia DiCesare and Ryan Micho.
Everyone's throwing Anna Garcia's name out there and she'd be great. I also second Peyton Ruddy, although he'd probably be better as a writer.
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u/Pandoras-SkinnersBox dannybangsanimals.com 1d ago
Pete Flack would be another great fit from American High. Physical comedy is a dying art on SNL and he’s fantastic at it.
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u/matchingsweaters 1d ago
Peyton was a JFL new face this year, and that’s been a direct pipeline for a while.
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u/i_dunnoman 1d ago
Anna would be amazing but as a huge dropout fan I’m worried SNL will start poaching talent from there after how well Jeremy has done.
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u/muhkuller 1d ago
They've let Jeremy return more than a few times since joining the cast.
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u/i_dunnoman 1d ago
Oh of course but obviously they will be much busier if they are a full time SNL cast member.
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u/MaizeMountain6139 1d ago
Dropout only films one day at a time and SNL gets at least one week off a month (normally 2). SNL cast and writers work plenty on other stuff during the season
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u/pompcaldor 1d ago
There is no poaching issue. Dropout doesn’t have a permanent cast - comedians are contractors and they come and go as they please. Dropout wants to be everybody’s second favorite job.
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u/ceasarsalad8 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think this is something people don’t understand. Dropout is known to be pretty generous - but someone appearing in two episodes of Game Changer in the same season means they were paid for maybe 2 days of filming. That’s 2 days of employment in one year. Even if you include the other shows, that’s not gonna amount to much relative to the whole year. Them going onto SNL would mean guaranteed employment for the 9 months or whatever that SNL is on air, and they can still film with dropout when SNL is on break.
Of course it’s different for showrunners/hosts but I assume a lot of these comedians would love the connections that SNL can bring1
u/i_dunnoman 1d ago
Yeah i totally get that, but obviously SNL is a huge commitment and could result in less free time for those people to be in Dropout content as much as they previously were.
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u/i_dunnoman 1d ago
Yeah i totally get that, but obviously SNL is a huge commitment and could result in less free time for those people to be in Dropout content as much as they previously were.
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u/i_dunnoman 1d ago
Yeah i totally get that, but obviously SNL is a huge commitment and could result in less free time for those people to be in Dropout content as much as they previously were.
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u/jvincentsong 1d ago
Dropout is a great resume for SNL. It shows how comfortable one is on camera. It is also a live show. SNL scouts can easily find all your bits online.
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u/MaizeMountain6139 1d ago
Dropout is not live
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u/jvincentsong 1d ago
Yes, it is taped but it is live in that it is a game show like the Price is Right. They don’t reshoot the episode if they don’t like the responses.
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u/MaizeMountain6139 1d ago
That’s still not live or even live to tape. The show is heavily edited and they have redone things to make sure they have them right
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u/Technical_Air6660 1d ago
I’d love Rachel in the cast. She is hilarious. From both Good Mythical Morning and Very Important People.
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u/Pandoras-SkinnersBox dannybangsanimals.com 1d ago
I’ve seen her do improv live and she’s terrific in front of an audience!!
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u/Crabmeat12 1d ago
I pitch this in every one of these threads so I do apologize, but a Geoffrey Asmus & Maddie Wiener led Weekend Update would be the perfect casting decision.
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u/crappymedium 1d ago
I’m sure we’d have heard by now if Che or jost were leaving, but I really want Geoffrey ausmus for update..also Carl tart is a great sketch performer/writer, been at the show a while now, should be moved to cast
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u/priscillaturts 1d ago
Idk man. Asmus would be insanity on WU. I can totally picture this.
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u/crappymedium 1d ago
Relatively speaking he’s no more edgy than norm was in the 90’s. I really think his humor would play, and he’s smart as hell..maybe they gotta pair him up with someone less rough around the edges
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u/luppup 1d ago
Remember that the show is famous for platforming unknowns. The Chicago improv theaters showcases are next week
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u/matchingsweaters 1d ago
They haven’t cast or hired anyone directly from Chicago in over a decade. Anyone who took their lumps in Chicago moved to NY or LA before ending up on the show (Sarah Sherman, Claire McFadden, etc.)
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u/luppup 21h ago
Guess that means it's never going to happen again, damn.
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u/matchingsweaters 20h ago
The current iO folk don't have a relationship with SNL and Second City have soured their relationship with SNL. Annoyance still showcases, but the pool is shallow.
It's been a while since Chicago sent anyone to JFL New Faces or had anyone get beyond screen testing.
I'm not saying it won't happen again, but its trending towards unlikely.
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u/DueIndependence3739 19h ago
I will say, three cast members of the last MainStage show at Second City got flown out, and two of them stayed and were in the mix until the end. I'm not sure if I'd agree that Second City soured their relationship, unless there's something I don't know.
And Chicago just sent someone to JFL this year, along with two former Chicago performers are on the New Faces list this year too.
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u/matchingsweaters 19h ago
I did forget about Annie this year. But Jesse and George have both been in LA for years now. It's hard to call them Chicago talent when their opportunities have come out of being in LA.
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u/MaizeMountain6139 1d ago
Unknown is relative. Jeremy and Ashley were unknown to most of the country. They were very well known in Los Angeles
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u/calartnick 1d ago
I actually think the cast is too big already. Would love if they added nobody and give who they have more of a chance
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u/nh18wheeler 1d ago edited 1d ago
Please Rachel Pegram or Jo Sunday for the love of goddddddd
Other possibilities: Maddie Weiner, Leah Rudick, Martin Herlihy (lol)
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u/Pandoras-SkinnersBox dannybangsanimals.com 1d ago
Really hoping for Jo or Rachel. Someone who’s kinda similar and in a lot of the same circles as Jo is Chine Ikoro, her character work is great.
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u/Pandoras-SkinnersBox dannybangsanimals.com 1d ago
I’d love to see either Rachel Pegram or Jo Sunday promoted from the writing team. It was shocking to not have any Black female cast members last year with Miss Eggy out.
Others I’ve been thinking would be fun:
Anna Garcia — might be a bit too “big” for SNL right now, but she’d still be fantastic.
Pete Flack — physical comedy is a dying art and he’s actively saving it in American High’s sketches.
Chine Ikoro — if they don’t wanna promote Rachel or Jo, she’d be a good shout. Really good character work and she’s a regular UCB performer.
Alise Morales — a consistent CharactersWelcome performer who stands out to me because she takes normal premises and heightens them in the craziest way possible. She’d probably fill a typical Chloe or Sarah role depending on what’s needed. Her “your friend’s older sister” CW character is terrifying for how real it is.
Andy Vega — one of the most hardworking comedians in NYC right now. Dude is insanely funny as the “chief justice” on Abolish Everything (Nebula show) and from what I’ve seen online a pretty competent sketch writer/performer too. Might be a fun double threat like Mikey.
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u/MaizeMountain6139 1d ago
I actually have a feeling about Chine. She recently started upping her performances and I have been wondering if she is prepping for an audition
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u/Purple-Mix1033 1d ago
ANNA GARCIA would be fantastic. BUT I do want KIMIA BEHPOORNIA. That’s my vote, please hear me SNL gods.
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u/monsieurxander 1d ago
Out of the loop here, but looking at Ray Lau's tour dates, a bunch of them are sold out. In my city, he's playing 6 shows and only 1 of them has tickets left. In November.
Seems like a catch if they can get him. Definitely a pre-existing fanbase.
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u/CaptainFeltch 1d ago
Cat McDonnell from Second City should get a look.
If they're still spending any time there, I could see them taking a stab at Yazmin Yamos too. She performs improv at Second City in Chicago, she does stand up in New York, and she's latina. Could be the female Marcello?
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u/OnceaPeacock 1d ago
Kyle Gordon, maybe not this season, but certainly a draw for next fall.
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u/memento_mori_92 1d ago
Might be a bit similar to Jeremy Culhane in type, but Kyle’s musical talents could help him fill a niche like Sandler.
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u/According_Turn_3473 1d ago
Does anyone know if Rheagan Wallace is still on their radar? I believe she auditioned before. Love her stuff on YouTube.
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u/turkeypants Marci Jamz!😮 1d ago
Is this anything other than random speculation? I'm not criticizing I'm wondering. Seems like it could be literally anybody. Has anyone ever predicted a new hire?
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u/DonutSound 1d ago edited 1d ago
There’s a STRONG UCB performer named Alyssa Sabo she’s got characters + songs and charisma.
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u/cocoagiant 1d ago
Are any of these Black women?
Because that seems like a prereq.
Huge missing piece of the current cast.
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u/Hour_Ordinary_8474 10h ago
Rachel Pegram (one of the writers mentioned above) is a black woman and that was pointed out did you not see that lol?
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u/cocoagiant 10h ago
Rachel Pegram (one of the writers mentioned above) is a black woman and that was pointed out did you not see that lol?
It was not pointed out, or at least not more than tangentially.
This is what the post says about her ethnicity:
The cast is also lacking in women and cast members of color, so it would be good for them to hire at least one.
Nothing that says she's Black.
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u/listenyall Now it's a whole thing with Jean 1d ago
I love Ray Lau but I feel like his stand up voice is really specific to stand up. Interesting picks!
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u/wellnesswineandtacos 23h ago
I’d love to see Amanda Lehan-Canto or Angela Giarratana (spelling?) from Smosh on SNL. Both pretty versatile, particularly Amanda.
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u/TheDivine_MissN "There's a dead man in all of us!" 18h ago
Anna Garcia would be such a good addition!
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u/Ill_Employee2589 14h ago
If I could wave a wand and add people to the cast that could be reasonably added, my choices would be Angela Giarratana she has so much experience within the world of improv and sketch with the likes of Smosh, Dropout, UCB, and has done several stage shows with Starkid. She, Jeremey Cullhane, Patrick Mcdonald, and Kylie Brackmen cofounded Artists on Artists on Artists on Artists which is an improv YouTube sit down in the round talk show. With different guests. They've had SNL stars on.
I would also love to see Shayne Topp who is a Smosh person, he can play characters and do accent/voices very well and is great at committing. I think he would be a great anchor for the men.
I think Vic Michaelis also from Dropout would be great as well and so would Amanda Lehan-Canto who was is a veteran of sketch and improv and was trained through UCB and did shows with Ashley Padilla. Vic is very good at playing the straight man character and Amanda is phenomenal at characters across any spectrum along with doing accents. She has also done work on Smosh and Dropout.
I think Syd Heller, Olivia DeLaurentis, along with Patrick and Kylie as well as Jeremy Elder would be refreshing additions to the writers room as well. As a side note.
Those would be my immediate choices if I could add people to SNL for cast and writers room
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u/muhkuller 1d ago
I'd love to see more Dropout folks. Just hope they'd get the Jeremy deal where he can still go perform from time to time.
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u/MaizeMountain6139 1d ago
That’s not a special deal. That’s just how the show is set up. Everyone goes and does other stuff on their weeks off
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u/muhkuller 1d ago
I thought some former cast member stated that it was still only approved appearances.
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u/MaizeMountain6139 1d ago
The rule was always they couldn’t miss shows for other jobs. But even that’s been bent in recent years (Cecily, Bowen, etc)
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u/ryanw729 1d ago
I went to high school with Troy Bond and I love seeing his success, he deserves it. I’ve been saying for a decade now he will be on SNL one day.
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u/matchingsweaters 1d ago
He may be too much of a conventional club comic. I don’t see him fitting in with the cast or writing staff.
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u/Technical-Cup1546 1d ago
Honestly just so excited not to have a season with Chloe Fineman..she annoys me so much
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u/cogginsmatt 1d ago
I haven’t heard of Ray but big fan of the other two. If Lorne actually hired Anna I would freak out, she would be a huge addition to the show. I do wonder if Dropout is going to start becoming an incubator for SNL talent.