Saturday Night Live's Season 44 premiere is just around the corner, and NBC's late-night series is making some moves ahead of the new episodes. Promotions are abound, as three featured players reportedly just got called up to repertory status, making them bonafide stars of the show. It's stated that Mikey Day, Melissa Villaseñor, and Alex Moffat have all been promoted to cast member status, which means they can put those days of showing up near the end of the opening credits behind them.
Each of the three actors was added to SNL as a featured player back in Season 42, and after two years, they're now getting the honor of being repertory players. Vulture's report of the promotion is a longer time coming for Mikey Day who, unlike his peers, has actually been with the series as a writer since 2013. Day made his way onto Saturday Night Live in 2017 and quickly gained viral fame as one of the two fancy-footed skeletons featured in Tom Hanks' iconic David S. Pumpkins sketch. Day has also found his way into SNL's political territory by portraying Donald Trump Jr. alongside Alex Moffat's Eric Trump.
Melissa Villaseñor may not have been with Saturday Night Live for as long as Mikey Day, but she had certainly made a name for herself on television prior to joining NBC's sketch comedy mainstay. After finishing as a semi-finalist on America's Got Talent in Season 6, Villaseñor slipped into voice work on shows like Family Guy and Adventure Time before finding her way to the studios at 30 Rock. Villaseñor's various impersonations will undoubtedly continue to be a great asset to the series, where she'll serve as another strong female presence on the constantly evolving cast.
Alex Moffat is another up-and-coming cast member who will benefit from Saturday Night Live's political sketches, as the actor frequently portrays various political and media figures on the show. Beyond his aforementioned turns as Eric Trump, Moffat has also portrayed other headline-makers like Paul Manafort, Chuck Schumer, Anderson Cooper, and Joe Scarborough. One would imagine SNL's political sketches aren't going anywhere anytime soon, which means Moffat may have a lot of pointed material coming for Season 44.
In addition to the news of Saturday Night Live promotions, it was also reported that featured players Chris Redd and Heidi Gardner would remain in their roles ahead of the new season, so the pairs fans need not worry. It was also stated at least one more person will join the lineup ahead of Season 44, although news of who that may be has not come out yet. One thing that seems certain is that whoever SNL selects will be extremely talented, since the late-night program seems to have a knack for finding the best and brightest in the world of comedy.
Saturday Night Live will premiere Season 44 on NBC on Saturday, September 29, at 11:30 p.m. ET. Get excited for its return, and keep track of what other shows are coming to television over the coming months with our fall premiere guide.
