‘Saturday Night Live’: Who Will Be the New Cast Members?
With the news that longtime Saturday Night Live cast members Bill Hader and Fred Armisen are leaving the show, the improv world is on high alert for Lorne Michaels' next moves. "If I could get inside his brain, it would be a whole different ballgame for me," says Zach Ward, the managing director of ImprovBoston and the founder of North Carolina's DSI Comedy Theater. What is clear, though, is that SNL is searching for more than just outsized personalities: "They're looking for people who can bring written content to the table," says Ward.
Agreed, says Andrew Alexander, the executive producer and co-owner of The Second City Chicago. Michaels and his writers make pilgrimages to The Second City every year, Alexander tells Rolling Stone, searching for new talent. "And we give them the inside scoop on who's a stronger writer," says Alexander. But Michaels and his team recruit from other troupes, too, including the Upright Citizens Brigade (which Amy Poehler co-founded) and The Groundlings, who introduced the world to Will Ferrell. At this point, just two weeks removed from SNL’s season finale, any short list is bound to be speculative, and neither Ward nor Alexander are keen on making predictions. "Look, they missed Steve Carell," says Alexander. "It's not a perfect science." Still, here are a few names you just might see on stage 8-H this September.
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Ross Bryant
One of The Second City's strongest performers is this two-year veteran, whose talents include improvised musical-theater comedy (with Baby Wants Candy, whose members include Jack McBrayer of 30 Rock and SNL featured player Aidy Bryant) and nerd rap, like this homage to Chicago's "least threatening neighborhood," Old Town: "Plants, strollers, puppies/Old-ass people, and newlywed yuppies."
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Betsy Sodaro
A short-lived cast member of NBC's ill-fated Animal Practice, this Colorado native made her name with the UCB Theatre in L.A. She cites Chris Farley as her main influence, and it's apparent in her anything-goes style of comedy.
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Tawny Newsome
A member of The Second City National Touring Company before joining the Mainstage ensemble, she's also an accomplished singer and guitarist (often appearing with the Mekons' Jon Langford). Look for her bit as a finishing-school mother: "I would say I'm like an autumn breeze."
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Tim Baltz
He's an alum of both The Second City and the Chicago's iO Theater (which was co-founded by the late improv guru Del Close, a mentor to SNL alums John Belushi and Bill Murray). Check out Baltz in this clip of two "Brosters" at an ad agency: "So true, it's bank!"
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Chris Witaske
This Second City player repped Chicago in the New Faces showcase at Montreal's Just for Laughs fest in 2011. In this highlights reel from his work with Norton Stuff Theatre, look for his bit as the Ditka-esque Don Brewski, Hipster Exterminator.
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Amos Vernon
A contributing writer for The Onion and a member of the sketch group Boat, he's been a UCB regular in New York since 2009.
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Edgar Blackmon
A Second City favorite, he's also the co-creator of the comedy duo Mad Highentists. Watch him play Chicago Bulls guard Nate Robinson in this press conference parody: "I'm givin' you the Nate of the Union!"
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Gavin Speiller
The head writer for UCB's New York sketch show Beneath Gristedes, he's also a founding member of the improv group Rogue Elephant and star of the one-man show Gavin Speiller Needs Your Approval. Here he is in the web series "Bad First Dates With Gavin."
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Brooke Breit
Another Second City family member, she has also appeared in revues in Washington D.C. and Baltimore. Here she plays Associate Professor Bagnall, having a breakdown over her identical twins.
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John Mulaney
Already widely recognized as a standup comic, Mulaney is also an SNL staff writer, co-creating Bill Hader's Stefon character. He could be a contender to take over the news parody "Weekend Update" when Seth Meyers moves on to Late Night.