Saturday Night Live writer Michael Patrick O'Brien will be joining the cast as a featured player this fall, and three others are rumored to have been hired, Dateline reports. O'Brien has been a writer on the show since 2009.
O'Brien spent years perfecting his comedy skills at Chicago's iO and Second City theaters. He last appeared on the show during Justin Timberlake's opening monologue on March 9, 2013.
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O'Brien as the doorman in Justin Timberlake's "Five-Timer's Club" monologue, a role played by Conan O'Brien in the original '80s sketch.
He also wrote this sketch.
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O'Brien hosts the popular web-series "7 Minutes in Heaven," in which he interviews celebrities and comedians in a closet.
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The other four featured players are rumored to be: Kyle Mooney, Noël Wells, Beck Bennett, John Milhiser.
All four are performers at the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater in Los Angeles, and have popular web videos to his or her name. Here's one from Beck Bennett.
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And a Step Up parody from John Millner, "Clap It Up."
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Noël Wells is known for her character work; here is her reel.
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And lastly, Kyle Mooney, doing an awkward man-on-the-street segment at a MLB game.
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This is a huge transitional year for SNL, as five performers are entering, and Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, and Jason Sudeikis left at the end of last season.
Seth Meyers will also depart in the late fall to prepare for his takeover as host of Late Night.
FYI: SNL has not hired a black woman since Maya Rudolph left the show in 2007. Although Keenan Thompson plays them a lot.
Just think of all the sketches we could see (Beyonce, Michelle Obama, Oprah, Nikki Minaj, Rihanna, and SO MANY more) if they hired a black woman instead of making Keenan Thompson play these characters.
Especially because there are so many hilarious women of color in comedy.
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But until then, best of luck to the comedians joining the 2013-2014 SNL cast!
