Saturday Night Live is set to begin its 52nd season on September 26, and the show has revealed key changes to its on‑air talent. The NBC sketch comedy program announced that two new performers will join the ensemble as featured players: Saidah Belo‑Osagie, a Queens, New York native, and Grace Reiter, who hails from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.
New cast members
Belo‑Osagie comes to SNL with a background in short‑form filmmaking and event production. She wrote and directed the short film “Tinge,” created the Afrobeats‑focused event series “Afrobeats Futura,” and recently presented a solo show titled “Saidah Gets Closure.” In an Instagram story she called the opportunity “A DREAM COME TRUE.”
Reiter is a writer‑director‑actor best known for co‑creating the upcoming Netflix series “Minimum Wage,” a comedy about teenagers running a pizzeria. The series grew out of a 2024 online release that gained significant traction on TikTok and other platforms, according to Netflix.
Departure of Chloe Fineman
Long‑time cast member Chloe Fineman will not return for the new season. Fineman, who joined the show in 2019 and spent seven seasons as a repertory player, announced her exit on July 16, saying it was “really hard to leave SNL but it does feel like the right time.” She has been known for impressions of celebrities such as Drew Barrymore and Britney Spears, as well as recurring sketches like “Domingo,” “Snackhomiez,” and “Forever 31.”
Industry reports indicate Fineman is slated to appear in the Netflix drama “Myron Bolitar,” based on Harlan Coben’s thriller novels about a former basketball star turned sports agent.
Season 52 details
The upcoming season will premiere with New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson as host and musical guest KATSEYE. As always, the show will be broadcast on NBC, a division of NBCUniversal.
Seasonal turnover of cast members is a regular part of SNL’s evolution, allowing longtime executive producer Lorne Michaels to fine‑tune the cold open, sketches, and news segments. Recent years have seen larger waves of departures, including Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Bowen Yang, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, and Emil Wakim, many of whom began as featured players before moving up to repertory status.
Fans can look forward to fresh voices and perspectives from Belo‑Osagie and Reiter, while the show bids farewell to Fineman’s memorable contributions.
Original reporting: NBC Connecticut — read the source article.
