Meet The 3 New "Saturday Night Live" Cast Members!

The unprecedented 50th season of "Saturday Night Live" is fast approaching, which means new sketches, new hosts, new musical guests, and brand-new cast members! As former cast members Punkie Johnson, Molly Kearney, and Chloe Troast say their goodbyes and move on to new projects, we are greeted with fresh faces to see in this season’s episodes. Here are the 3 new additions to the cast!

1. Ashley Padilla

Ashley Padilla, originally from the Bay Area, has been a Main Company member of The Groundlings, an improv and sketch comedy theater in Los Angeles, since 2021. Padilla decided to move to L.A. to pursue comedy thanks to a suggestion from her mom. Her past 3 years at the prestigious company paid off, as she is now a featured player on "SNL". She appeared in various sketches with the company, such as "Above Ground Pool Party", "Party of Three", and "The Not Inappropriate Show". Padilla will now join Maya Rudolph, Will Ferrell, Heidi Gardener, and the rest of the long list of Groundlings Company Alumni who went on to appear on "Saturday Night Live".

2. Emil Wakim

Emil Wakim was raised in Bloomington, Indiana, but will now be a featured player on "SNL" for Season 50. Currently based in Brooklyn, NY, Wakim is a comedian and writer and the first Lebanese-American to be cast on "SNL". He is nowhere near new to the comedy scene -- he performed stand-up on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" in 2022 and has opened for incredible comedians like Hasan Minhaj, Nikki Glaser, Roy Wood Jr., and more. At the prestigious Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal in 2022, he was selected as the New Face of Comedy. Undoubtedly, he will succeed this season on "Saturday Night Live".

3. Jane Wickline

If you watch sketches and comedy on TikTok, you know Jane Wickline. With over 970,000 followers on the platform, Wickline has created a community of supporters who will follow her through her new journey on "SNL". Growing up In Los Angeles, it’s no shock that Jane had big dreams in this industry. She attended Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, where she performed sketch comedy and was the editor of the school’s satire publication The Grape. After graduating in 2021, she began working as a copywriter while continuing to pursue comedy both online and through live performances. She now has a sketch show with Liva Pierce called "Duke the Show". Their last performance will be on the 19th of September as Wickline prepares for her first season on "Saturday Night Live".

As sad as it is to watch our beloved former cast members leave, it’s important to allow space for these new members to enjoy their incredible accomplishments. Season 50 of "SNL" premieres on September 28!