Saturday Night Live’s 42nd season’s ratings skyrocketed, in part due to the material the cast was able to use during Donald Trump’s campaign and election. The departures, however, of Bobby Moynihan, Vanessa Bayer and Sasheer Zamata left the talent scouts of SNL with big shoes to fill for the 43rd season.
Just days before the season’s premiere, SNL hired comedians Heidi Gardner, Luke Null and Chris Redd to join the cast.
Gardner is from The Groundlings in Los Angeles, an improvisational sketch comedy troupe and school. She is the voice of “Cooch” in the Crackle series, “SuperMansion,” and she will be sharing the screen with SNL alumna Melissa McCarthy in an upcoming 2018 production called “Life of the Party.”
Redd, a comedian, rapper and performer from St. Louis, Missouri, was at Chicago’s Second City, a comedy club in Illinois that hosts popular sketch shows & improv classes, before becoming a feature player on SNL. He appeared in the 2016 film “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” written and directed by the Lonely Island trio of Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. He also has appeared in small movies and Netflix comedies, such as “Disjointed.”
Null, a 27 year old from Cincinnati, Ohio, didn’t have much experience before joining the cast, causing many questions through SNL’s loyal fanbase. His only real experience comes from doing sketch work for the iO Comedy Network, an online comedy improv channel.
These cast members immediately took off, playing some of the most memorable roles thus far in the 43rd season.
Gardner, a Kansas City, Missouri native, has gained recognition from her outstanding impersonation of “I, Tonya” star Allison Janney and Fox television personality Ainsley Earhardt. In an under-the-radar parody of MTV’s reality television show “Florabama Shore,” she gives an incredible performance as “Epcot” from Florida, a made-up character that finds her long-lost sister.
Redd has taken on impersonations of “Get Out” writer and director Jordan Peele, rappers Lil’ Wayne and Offset and social rights activist Louis Farrakhan. He most notably played “This Is Us” star Sterling K. Brown and “Chief Bronco,” alongside Chance the Rapper. In his skit, Chance and Redd portray members of “Soul Crush Crew,” a 1970’s hip-hop group.
Redd, with less experience, has captured SNL fans with his witty impersonations and behind-the-scenes moments that tend to go unnoticed on-air. Blake Shelton has been his most notable impersonation so far.
In the midst of the 43rd season, Gardner, Redd and Null will continue to gain the recognition they deserve. After all, they are the new generation of SNL.
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