‘SNL’ Writer Michael Patrick O’Brien Is Also Joining the Cast as a Featured Player

Saturday Night Live writer Michael Patrick O’Brien will be joining the cast of the show this fall, Deadline reports. O’Brien, who has been with the show as a writer since 2009, will be the fifth new addition to the cast this season as as a featured player after Beck Bennett, John Milhiser, Kyle Mooney, and Noël Wells, who were reported previously. O’Brien was flown out to New York to audition to be a cast member on the SNL stage in 2005 and 2009, the latter of which resulted in him landing a writing job on the show.

O’Brien, who rose up via Chicago’s comedy scene, performing at the iO and Second City theaters, is also the host of the popular web series 7 Minutes in Heaven, in which he conducts funny interviews with celebrities for seven minutes in a closet. He’s the first SNL writer to be promoted to a cast member since Jason Sudeikis in 2005. Tina Fey in 2000 was the first before that. With five new cast members, so far, joining the fold this season, this is the highest amount of performers SNL has hired since revamping the show in 1995, when 8 new cast members were added.

Here’s an interview we did with Michael Patrick O’Brien in April. Check out some of his 7 Minutes in Heaven videos with Kristen Wiig and Jack McBrayer and an SNL cameo he made below:

7 Minutes in Heaven with Kristen Wiig

7 Minutes in Heaven with Jack McBrayer

O’Brien as the doorman in Justin Timberlake’s “Five-Timer’s Club” monologue on SNL, a role played by Conan O’Brien in the original ‘80s sketch.

‘SNL’ Writer Michael Patrick O’Brien Is Also Joining […]