New SNL Cast Members in Season 52: Who Joined, Who Moved Up and Who Left
Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter are the two new SNL cast members in Season 52, both hired as featured players and both on the show from the Sept. 26 premiere. NBCUniversal announced them on Sept. 16, 2026, and two existing featured players, Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline, moved up to the main cast the same season.
Nobody else joined. NBCUniversal's announcement names 15 returning cast members to go with the two new hires, which makes 17 names on the Season 52 list when we counted it on Oct. 18.
Who is Saidah Belo-Osagie?
NBCUniversal describes her as a comedian from Queens, N.Y. She wrote and directed the short film Tinge and created the event series Afrobeats Futura and the solo show Saidah Gets Closure. NBC Insider adds that she built an online following with comedy videos on TikTok, like fellow cast members Jane Wickline and Veronika Slowikowska.
Who is Grace Reiter?
Reiter is originally from Chippewa Falls, Wis. NBCUniversal lists her credits as the upcoming series Minimum Wage, which she also wrote and directed, The Chair Company and the online parody The Hunger Games (but Better). TheWrap reports she played the partner of Tim Robinson's character's daughter in The Chair Company on HBO Max.
| New cast member | Role | First episode | Credits NBC lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saidah Belo-Osagie | Featured player | Sept. 26 premiere (host Jalen Brunson, musical guest KATSEYE) | Tinge, Afrobeats Futura, Saidah Gets Closure |
| Grace Reiter | Featured player | Sept. 26 premiere (host Jalen Brunson, musical guest KATSEYE) | Minimum Wage, The Chair Company, The Hunger Games (but Better) |
Who moved up to the main cast in Season 52?
TheWrap reports that Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline were promoted from featured player to the main cast for Season 52. NBCUniversal's announcement lists both among the returning cast.
Who left SNL before Season 52?
NBC Insider says Season 52 follows the departures of longtime cast members Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman. TheWrap counts seven seasons for Fineman and also reports that Martin Herlihy, a writer and one third of the Please Don't Destroy group, left the show. NBC and TheWrap don't give the reasons in the pieces we read, so we don't either.
Will there be more new cast members this season?
We found no announcement of another hire as of Sunday, Oct. 18. Cast changes come through NBC's own announcements, and this page changes only when one appears. The season's remaining new episodes are on the new-or-rerun page: the next new show is Saturday, Oct. 31, with host Inde Navarrette (Halloween night).
Quick questions
How many new cast members does SNL have in Season 52? Two, Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter, both featured players.
When did the new SNL cast members first appear? NBC Insider says both debuted in the Sept. 26 premiere hosted by Jalen Brunson.
The full roster, tiers and Weekend Update anchors are on the Season 52 cast page. For who hosts each episode, see the Season 52 hosts page and this week's host page, and for how to watch, how to watch SNL live. This page lives in our cast section. If a name here is wrong, the corrections address is on the about page.
Sources · NBCUniversal — Saturday Night Live announces two new cast members (Sept. 16, 2026) · NBC Insider — Who joined SNL for Season 52 · TheWrap — SNL adds 2 cast members for Season 52