The key to booking a gig on SNL: everything we learned yesterday, though living in Los Angeles, performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, and being white helps. Last night, Deadline reported that comedians John Milhiser, Noël Wells, Kyle Mooney, and Beck Bennett “have emerged as top candidates to join SNL as new featured players this fall.” There’s been no official word from NBC yet, so cheer up, guy who auditioned with a timely bit about binders full of #kony2012 fliers — there’s hope for you yet. Let’s meet the (probable) newbies.
Beck Bennett
Best known for appearing in AT&T’s “It’s Not Complicated” ads, directed by SNL‘s Jorma Taccone, Beck Bennett is a graduate of USC, where he met fellow newbie Kyle Mooney, and together with Nick Rutherford, they formed the sketch group Good Neighbor. They’ve performed at UCB countless times and have created numerous dependably funny viral videos. Bennett also has a web series of his own, “Fresh Perspectives.”
John Milhiser
John Milhiser’s NYC-based sketch group Serious Lunch has been featured on Conan and Fallon, and his Baguette-Me-Nots photo blog, created with fellow Serious Luncher Tim Bierbaum, is an indescribable joy.
Kyle Mooney
Kyle Mooney is another member of Good Neighbor, and according to Splitsider, he was a writer on the first season of Comedy Central’s Nathan for You, guest starred on Parks and Recreation, and had a recurring role on the short-lived Sports Show with Norm Macdonald as Macdonald’s nephew Kyle. (Via)
Noël Wells
Noël Wells is a talented actress and parodist, or self-described “actress, comedian, photographer, and A/V geek in Los Angeles,” with YouTube views in the millions, some of which are yours. Her Zooey Deschanel and Kristen Stewart impressions are superb. Here’s an interview with Under the Radar.
Abby Elliott is so pissed right now.
UPDATE: A fifth new cast member, Michael Patrick O’Brien, was added this afternoon, because there weren’t enough white guys on the show, or something.
