Chloe Fineman is gearing up for her return in Season 51 of Saturday Night Live, though she openly admitted that she’s still "processing" the absence of many former co-stars who won't be returning amid a major cast overhaul. "It’s pretty wild," Fineman shared with Extra TV when asked about the cast changes. "There’s some shocking stuff in there. A touch of heartbreak, a hint of sadness. I haven’t fully processed anything yet, but I will say the show has always had such a high turnover rate."
It was previously announced that Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, and John Higgins will not be returning for Season 51, which is set to premiere on October 4. "I’m heading into my seventh year," Fineman continued. "I’ve done it. You always experience [turnover], but these people stay in your lives." Fineman joined SNL in 2019 as a featured player and was promoted to repertory player in 2021.
In addition to Fineman, SNL stars Bowen Yang, Kenan Thompson, Ego Nwodim, Marcello Hernandez, Colin Jost, Michael Che, Andrew Dismukes, James Austin Johnson, Sarah Sherman, Ashley Padilla, Mikey Day, and Jane Wickline are all confirmed to return for the new season. Meanwhile, Please Don’t Destroy’s Ben Marshall has been promoted to a featured player. The upcoming season will also welcome newcomers Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska.
While chatting with Extra, Fineman expressed her excitement for the new faces joining the show. "There’s so many people," she remarked, before joking, "When I saw how young the new cast is, I immediately got a laser. I felt like I was in Death Becomes Her. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’"
Fineman isn’t the only SNL star to recently reflect on the cast shake-up. Yang opened up about Gardner’s departure during the Wednesday episode of his Las Culturistas podcast. After calling Gardner "a true anchor on that show," Yang praised her as "one of the greats" and someone who "will go down in history." He then shared that she was a trusted sketch writer on the variety show. "It’s always a very, very vulnerable thing as a cast member to put only your name on it," Yang added. "But anytime you saw just ‘Gardner,’ you knew you were in good hands. She would take it upon herself to write pieces for other cast members."
On a personal note, Yang credited Gardner for helping the cast navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic. He recalled how she would encourage them to "just each text each other every day, something that made us smile today," adding that she is "just a truly beautiful person."
