'SNL' Announces Cast Changes Ahead of the 47th Season

The comedy sketch show "Saturday Night Live" is making a few cast changes ahead of season 47, including the exit of two players and the addition of three new cast members.

The beloved comedy sketch show "Saturday Night Live" might look slightly different when season 47 premieres on October 2, as the show is losing two featured players and adding three new cast members.

One of the cast members leaving is Beck Bennett, who had been a part of the cast for the last eight years. Bennett confirmed his exit from the show on Instagram alongside a collection of throwback pictures from his time on the show.

The comedian shared eight photos from his time on "SNL" which included moments from backstage, table reads, cast celebrations, and the goodnights with the audience at the end of the show.

Bennett made sure to give context for the pictures as he wrote a list of descriptions for the images. He took a moment to share his love for "SNL" then thanked the show for the last eight years:

"Thank you for 8 years of remarkable people and incredible experiences that completely changed my life[.] I had so much fun ❤️"

The other cast member leaving is featured player Lauren Holt, who joined the cast after leaving "30 Rock" last fall. She, too, confirmed the news of her exit in an Instagram post this week.

Unlike Bennett's larger connection of photos, Holt only shared one. The photo was a black and white of the "SNL" set clock. She shared gratitude for being a part of the cast in the caption of her post.

The creator and producer of the show, Loure Michaels, referenced the cast changes at the 2021 Emmys.

Holt described her last year on the show as incredible, filled with incredible people. She also shared how proud she was to be a part of such an amazing cast and noted that "SNL" would always bring her joy.

Meanwhile, the NBC comedy show shared who will be joining the cast for the new season on their official Instagram page. The announcement came in the form of three headshots of the new players and a caption which said:

"New S47 Cast!!!"

The three new additions to the cast include Aristotle Athari, James Austin Johnson, and Sarah Sherman. Fans will have to wait for October to see the new players in action and make their debut on "SNL."

They will join the ensemble cast who are staying on for next season, which includes Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, Kenan Thompson, Kate McKinnon, and Cecily Strong, to name a few.

The creator and producer of the show, Loure Michaels, referenced the cast changes at the 2021 Emmys. However, he stated that he thought the change would not leave any of the show's audience and fans heartbroken.

"SNL" also excited fans last week when it announced the hosts and musical guests for October. The first episode of the next season will star Owen Wilson as the host and Kacey Musgraves as the musical guest.