snl cast

SNL Looks to Add Writer Mike O’Brien and 4 Others to Cast

Mike O'Brien attends the 16th Annual Webby Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom on May 21, 2012 in New York City.
Photo: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images

Deadline reports that SNL is looking at five new funny people to join the cast. The first name isn’t totally new: Mike O’Brien, who has been a writer for the show for four years and hosted the very popular web series “Seven Minutes in Heaven.” The other four lesser-known names — Noël Wells, John Milhiser, Kyle Mooney, and Beck Bennett — are all sketch performers at the UCB Theatre. Wells is a gifted impressionist, with over 10 million views on her YouTube channel. Mooney and Bennett (whom you might recognize from those AT&T ads with the little kids) are members of the sketch group Good Neighbor (YouTube channel with over 30 million views), which actually has a deal with Comedy Central that SNL will have to negotiate around. Milhiser, who runs the amazing Baguette-Me-Nots tumblr, is coming off a performance in the “New Faces: Characters” showcase at last month’s Just for Laughs festival. As tends to be the case with SNL, nothing is a done-done deal until you hear Don Pardo announce their name on the show, but until then, watch a video of each and imagine how they’ll fit in.

Mike O’Brien

Noël Wells

John Milhiser

Kyle Mooney and Beck Bennett 

SNL Looks to Add Mike O’Brien & 4 Others to Cast