NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” has added comedians Chloe Fineman, Shane Gillis and Bowen Yang as featured players for the upcoming 45th season.
Yang joined the sketch show’s writing staff last season and appeared as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un when “Killing Eve” star Sandra Oh hosted in March. The NYU graduate’s casting is also noteworthy as he’s the only Asian American series regular in this cast.
Fineman is known for her work with improv company The Groundlings, a noted “SNL” training ground, and for the ace celebrity (and other) impressions that she posts on her social channels.
Gillis, like Fineman, has been a New Face at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival. He also can be frequently heard on Comedy Central Radio’s “The Bonfire.”
The casting news comes a few weeks after it was reported that Emmy-nominated “SNL” favorite Leslie Jones was leaving the show.
“SNL” also has announced a partial lineup of hosts for the new season, booking former cast member Eddie Murphy for the show’s holiday episode on December 21 and “Fleabag’s” Phoebe Waller-Bridge for the October 5 show.
The 45th season of “SNL” premieres September 28 with host Woody Harrelson and musical guest Billie Eilish.
