Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
SNL Loses Beck Bennett, Adds Featured Players Sarah Sherman, Aristotle Athari & James Austin Johnson
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 27, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
NBC
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 27, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
With Saturday Night Live's season 47 premiere coming up this weekend (October 2nd), the show has finally announced the full cast for the new season, which includes three new featured players and at least one surprising longtime exiting cast member. Sarah Sherman, Aristotle Athari & James Austin Johnson are joining the show, bringing the cast to a whopping 21 people, and Beck Bennett is leaving, along with Lauren Holt.
After eight seasons on the show, starting as a featured player in season 39 in 2013, Bennett announced his departure in an Instagram post: "Love you, SNL. Gonna miss you so much. Thank you for 8 years of remarkable people and incredible experiences that completely changed my life. I had so much fun."
In addition, Lauren Holt, who started as a featured player last season, will also not be returning. Two other previous featured players, Chloe Fineman and Bowen Yang, have been made full cast members.
Despite some indications at the end of last season that SNL heavyweights Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, and Kenan Thompson might be considering leaving the show, they're all staying put, just like Lorne Michaels wanted.
Sherman, known online as Sarah Squirm, is already pretty well known for her use of body horror and technicolor DIY creations, as well as for work she's done with Adult Swim, Means TV, and her "unconventional and popular traveling freaky variety show, Helltrap Nightmare."
"SNL just made a HUGE mistake!!" she tweeted today.
You might recognize Aristotle Athari from Silicon Valley, where he played chair-pants wearing programmer Gabe in season six. He's also a successful stand-up comedian who was part of Hasan Minaj’s sketch group Goatface.
In addition to being a stand-up comedian, podcast host, and having a role on Better Call Saul, James Austin Johnson is best known for having perfected arguably the only good Trump impression in the world. "That’s the main thing I focus on, is that this is a rasping old man who is inches from death at any moment," he told Discourse about getting into the Trump headspace and finding the voice.
Season 47 kicks off on Saturday. The show previously announced the hosts for the first four episodes, kicking it off with Owen Wilson and musical guest Kacey Musgraves. Kim Kardashian West, Rami Malek, and Jason Sudeikis will host other episodes throughout October.
Tagged
comedy
saturday night live
snl
television
tv
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .