How does Saturday Night Live Cast Their Hosts and Actors?
Photo: Rockefeller Center
Have you ever wondered how your favorite celebrities get chosen to host Saturday Night Live? Or how the cast is so perfectly curated? Well, you have landed in the right spot, even if all of the jokes don’t land. Since its debut in 1975, Saturday Night Live has been a launchpad for comedy legends. However, the process of getting to New York City on the 17th floor of Rockefeller Center is a long process that requires strategy and determination. Very few people get the chance to go audition for the show; it is an opportunity no one can pass up, given the chance.
For choosing the hosts, it is a fairly simple process. It is centered around what is trending in media and pop culture. For example, at the beginning of this year, Finn Wolfhard hosted after the release of the finale of Stranger Things Season 5. The timing of this episode allowed the sketches to relate to the Stranger Things finale, including the internet’s conspiracy of Conformity Gate. On February 28th, Connor Storrie will be hosting. He has been a hot topic on the internet over the past few months following his breakout role in Heated Rivalry. The ultimate decision is made by Lorne Michaels, who created Saturday Night Live and is still the master behind the show over 50 years later.
Left to right: Gaten Matarazzo, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin
Photo: NBC
The process is much more rigorous for the season cast members. Auditioning for the show has several steps and it can be a lengthy process. The Saturday Night Live talent department chooses potential candidates to fly to New York if they film a convincing five-minute video audition. Once they get to New York City, they are asked to perform a stand-up skit in front of Lorne Michaels and a few other producers from the show. The goal is to make them laugh; however, they rarely do, which makes it extremely intimidating for the people auditioning.
Left to right: Veronika Slowikowska, Jane Wickline, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chloe Fineman
Photo: NBC
If you are wondering how to get a better chance of being on the show, having a strong following on social media helps. Creating comedy content on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and X can help prove to casting directors that audiences enjoy the content being shared. Cast members such as Jane Wickline and Veronika Slowikowska are perfect examples of this because they had large social media platforms before they were hired onto the show and now they have grown so much more.
Overall, Saturday Night Live has never held open auditions. The show seeks out the potential cast members. Certain places they scout include Chicago’s Second City, New York’s Comedy Cellar and Los Angeles’ Groundlings. This allows the scouts to see how live audiences react to the jokes because after all, Saturday Night Live is filmed at 11:30 pm every Saturday night, whether they are ready or not. From there, they choose who is invited to participate in the hiring process. Even though the process is intimidating, the reward is worth it in the end.
