“Saturday Night Live” will return for its 43rd season this week and will include three new cast members, one of which you probably know, one you possibly know, and one you pragmatically don’t. The new featured players will be Chris Redd, Heidi Gardner, and Luke Null.
In addition SNL hired seven new writers to the cast creating an influx of new possibilities for a show that found newfound heights of popularity last season thanks to its political sketches. (Count us in the minority that didn’t like those sketches.) Those writers will be, Gary Richardson, Nimesh Patel, Steven Castillo, Claire Friedman, Erik Marino, Andrew Dismukes, and Sam Jay.
Here is a quick sample of their work.
Chris Redd
If you watched Lonely Island’s hilarious Popstar: Never Stop Popping last year, you’re familiar with Chris Redd. Rumored to be joining the cast last season, Redd played the scene-stealing Hunter the Hungry in Popstar and had some of the funnier scenes in the movies, including the one below. Redd also taped his first half-hour special for Comedy Special earlier this year and previously was part of Chicago’s Second City.
Heidi Gardner
Like Will Ferrell and Melissa McCarthy, Heidi Gardner joins a long list of SNL cast members who come straight from the Los Angeles-based comedy group Groundlings. There she performs and writes improv as well as sketches. She will appear in 2018’s Life of the Party which stars McCarthy, and has done substantial voiceover work.
-
Related Story: Bobby Moynihan Was SNL’s Character Comedian Genius And Here’s His Most Hysterical Sketch
Here is a sketch she co-wrote and co-starred in.
Luke Null
Unlike his fellow new cast members, Null doesn’t have an extensive comedy resume to tout. He is a serious unknown and interesting hire for the team at SNL and could end up a surprise delight. His knack appears to be a sing-songy comedy, perhaps akin to Bo Burnham. Here’s a clip of him performing.
