Presumably fearing that poor overworked Kristen Wiig might soon drop dead from exhaustion, Lorne Michaels has allegedly hired two new female cast members for Saturday Night Live’s upcoming 35th season. The Comic’s Comic reports that comediennes Jenny Slate and Nasim Pedrad, both UCB alumnae (Slate from New York, Pedrad from L.A.), started rehearsals this week in preparation for September 17’s Weekend Update Thursdays special and the September 26 Megan Fox–hosted season premiere of SNL proper (NBC has confirmed none of this yet). So, assuming it’s true, can they succeed where so many (Casey Wilson, Michaela Watkins, and Abby Elliott) have failed — in lightening Kristen Wiig’s workload a little?
Consider the following YouTube evidence! Here’s a pair of videos of Slate with performing partner Gabe Liedman:
Not bad! But all proof of Pedrad’s existence seems to have been removed from YouTube. So we hope Kristen Wiig had a restful summer, at least.
Saturday Night Live hires! Jenny Slate and Nasim Pedrad join the SNL cast [Comic’s Comic]
New Blood At SNL: Jenny Slate and Nasim Pedrad Up The Chick Quotient As Latest Cast Members [Mediaite]