Two comediennes have joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in time for its 35th season, says The Comic's Comic, who first reported last season's SNL recruits. Is it just us, or do new cast members Jenny Slate and Nasim Pedrad both resemble Michaela Watkins? Sure, Michaela tracked well with bored high school kids, stoned college students and aspiring improvisers in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, but wouldn't Lorne Michaels want to find doppelgängers for Kristin Wiig, the only SNL-er maintaining the show's faint pulse?
Although NBC has not officially confirmed the addition, sources say that both UCB alumnae began rehearsals with the rest of the cast this week for Weekend Update Thursdays, premiering September 17, and the Megan Fox-hosted season premiere on September 26. It is still uncertain whether Casey Wilson and the original Michaela Watkins will return for their second seasons.
Jenny Slate graduated from Columbia University, performed a one-woman show called Dead Millionaire at UCB New York last spring and frequently works with her comedy partner, Gabe Liedman (first video below). Nasim Pedrad is a Los Angeles native who has performed with The Groundlings (second video below), the UCB Theatre and Improv Olympic and had a nine-episode arc on ER.
"the Girlfriend" from Gabe & Jenny on Vimeo.
"Trash Talk" Sketch From Groundlings Show "El Rancho Advanco" from Marisol Medina on Vimeo.