Veronika Slowikowska: From Viral Skits to Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live is gearing up for its 51st season with a significant cast shake-up, announcing five new featured players and several notable departures. The changes signal a new chapter for the iconic NBC sketch show, which is coming off its monumental 50th-anniversary season. The new additions represent a diverse range of comedic talent, from viral social media stars to seasoned stand-ups and sketch veterans, who are set to inject fresh energy into the late-night institution.

Among the new faces is Ben Marshall, a member of the beloved comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy. Marshall, who has been a part of the show’s writing staff and has appeared in the trio’s pre-taped digital shorts for four seasons, is now being promoted to a featured player role. This marks a major milestone for Marshall and the group, which has created some of the show’s most memorable digital content in recent years. While Marshall steps into the spotlight, his fellow Please Don’t Destroy member, John Higgins, will be leaving the show, while the third member, Martin Herlihy, will remain on the writing staff.

Four new comedians are joining the cast as featured players alongside Marshall: Veronika Slowikowska, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Tommy Brennan. Each brings a unique comedic sensibility to the show, reflecting the new generation of performers who have built audiences across different platforms.

A New Generation of Comedic Voices

The most buzzworthy addition to the cast is Veronika Slowikowska, a Canadian social media star who has amassed a massive following on both TikTok and Instagram. She honed her skills at Randolph College for the Performing Arts before graduating in 2015, and later from the esteemed Canadian Film Centre's Actors' Conservatory in 2020. Slowikowska became known for the surreal and deliberately awkward comedy sketches she often created with her creative partner, Kyle Chase, all before her television career began. Her Instagram handle, @veronika_iscool, has over one million followers who were among the first to celebrate her casting.

Slowikowska and Chase also co-hosted a popular podcast, Nevermind, which recently went on a hiatus, leading fans to correctly speculate that she had been cast on SNL. The duo's online fame is built on their unique comedic chemistry and their "situationship," a recurring theme in their content. While the two have not explicitly confirmed they are a couple, they have playfully dodged questions about their relationship in interviews, and their dynamic has become a signature part of their shared brand.

Beyond her online fame, Slowikowska is a seasoned actress with a number of television credits to her name. She has appeared in shows such as What We Do in the Shadows, Poker Face, Murdoch Mysteries, and Tires. Her role as Shanice in What We Do in the Shadows brought her significant recognition before her online content went viral. The news of her induction into SNL has delighted her devoted fanbase, and Slowikowska herself called the opportunity a "dream come true." Her reported salary for the show is $7,000 per episode, with the upcoming season expected to have 20 episodes. Her transition from online sketches to a live, global stage marks a significant moment in her burgeoning career.

The other new featured players are equally impressive. Jeremy Culhane is a well-known figure in the Los Angeles comedy scene, where he is a regular performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade and a popular face on Dropout TV. Stand-up comedian Kam Patterson is a familiar voice to podcast fans from his regular appearances on Tony Hinchcliffe’s Kill Tony.

Farewell to Familiar Faces

The arrival of these new players comes as the show bids farewell to several established cast members. After eight seasons, a veteran of the cast, Heidi Gardner, has exited the show. She joined in 2017 and became a fan favorite for her wide array of memorable characters and impressions. Also departing are Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker, both of whom are leaving after three seasons. Emil Wakim, a new cast member from Season 50, is also departing the show after just one season.

The departing players took to social media to reflect on their time on the show with both humor and gratitude. In a heartfelt message on Instagram, Devon Walker described his time on SNL as a mixture of highs and lows, but ultimately expressed his appreciation for the "fucked up lil family" he found there. Their departures mark the end of one era and set the stage for the next.

Season 51 is poised to continue the show’s legacy as a launchpad for comedic talent, a role it has fulfilled for decades for icons like Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, and Bill Murray. Coming off the landmark 50th anniversary season—which featured a special three-hour telecast, a concert, and documentaries celebrating the show’s history—the new season promises to be a fresh start. With its new cast members and a roster of seasoned veterans, Saturday Night Live is set to premiere on NBC on October 4.