Melissa Villaseñor Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Lorne Michaels is gearing up for a transitional season of Saturday Night Live after a massive cast shakeup ahead of Season 48. The NBC sketch comedy series lost a total of 8 cast members and Michaels is talking about how that came about.

It’s a busy day in awards season news as the New York Film Critics Circle anointed “Killers of the Flower Moon” as Best Film of 2023 and both Film Independent and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had major announcements. The latter revealed that “Saturday Night Live” and “Shrill” star Aidy Bryant will host the 39th Independent Spirit Awards on February 25.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor “Saturday Night Live” alum Aidy Bryant has been tapped to host the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which will once again stream live on Film Independent’s YouTube channel and IMDB.com from its signature Santa Monica beach tent location. Last year’s ceremony marked the first time since 1997 that the annual celebration of independent cinema and television wouldn’t air on the IFC network after it did not renew its licensing deal.

Ego Nwodim’s year to step up at “Saturday Night Live.” And did she ever. After a major cast turnover last season, Nwodim is now one of the veteran cast members on the show — and one of its most utilized on-screen.  Nwodim found herself elevated to senior status as long-running “SNL” stars such as Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kyle Mooney, Chris Redd and Melissa Villaseñor opted to exit. Cecily Strong followed suit midway through the season.  “To be part of such a strong, sturdy institution is already quite a wonder in itself,” Nwodim says. “But then to have people who are such pillars in that institution go, it feels like, ‘Is this going to work again? Is it going to feel the way it felt before? Is it going to feel better… or feel worse?’”

‘SNL’s” cast members live this summer.Long-running “Weekend Update” anchor Colin Jost is embarking on an 11-show stand-up comedy tour that will take him all over the country from June 1-25.That includes a show at Huntington, NY’s The Paramount on June 1.Plus, he may even bring a few “SNLers” along with him.On his tour last year, Jost had cast members James Austin Johnson, Sarah Sherman and Andrew Dismukes as well as writers Jake Nordwind and Alex English open for him.Best of all though, tickets are surprisingly affordable to see ScarJo’s husband live.At the time of publication, we found some Colin Jost tickets going for as low as $37 before fees on Vivid Seats.Not a bad price to see an Emmy host and Wrestlemania vet (yes, really) live.Want to see the man with a “punchable face” perform jokes live?Here’s everything you need to know and more.All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation.A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues and links to the cheapest tickets available can be found below.(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor You’ll have to wait a while for the next original “Live, from New York!” “Saturday Night Live” will not produce any new episodes for the next while, owing to the writers’ strike called for by the WGA. The show’s next scheduled episode, slated for Saturday night and hosted by former cast member Pete Davidson with musical guest Lil Uzi Vert, will not take place, according to NBC. With a work stoppage in place, it’s quite possible that fans will not have any more new episodes of “SNL” in its 48th season. The show usually goes on its summer hiatus after May. “‘SNL’ will air repeats until further notice starting Saturday, May 6,” NBC said.

Melissa Villaseñor came back home after wrapping her sixth and final season on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” friends and family almost immediately asked “What’s next?”“That’s not enough?” she laughed.Still, the talented comedienne took their question to heart and got right back to work after leaving the late night program.Now, fans can see the fruits of Villaseñor’s labor.On Tuesday, April 25, she’ll be appearing on NBC’s “Night Court” as Gabby, a mirror character to Melissa Rauch’s Abby.“I think both of us are pretty positive, joyful. Melissas,” Villaseñor said over Zoom.

Andy Cohen’s “Watch What Happens Live” earlier this week where she admitted that it’s “hard for me to watch the show right now.”Strong was part of the cast of the long-running NBC sketch series for 11 seasons and announced her departure in December 2022.The Bravo host, 54, compared the comedy show to being an “ex-boyfriend,” and Strong couldn’t help but agree.“It was just such a big part of my life and there’s so many people I love there, so I feel like I would just be in a swamp of sadness, just my heart would break,” she said. “I’ve got to keep my distance,” Strong sighed.Cohen then asked her if she would ever return to host the show in the near future.“What did you think about Molly Shannon hosting ‘SNL’ last weekend and has there been any talks of you coming in and hosting as well?” the talk show emcee said about Shannon, 58, who was a cast member on “SNL” from 1995 to 2001 and guest-hosted the April 8 episode.“There’s no talks of me hosting,” Strong replied.However, she confirmed that she would be appearing in the series’ 50th anniversary in the foreseeable future.“SNL” is currently almost through its 48th season.In December 2022, Strong revealed she was leaving “SNL,” after being with the cast for 10 years.

Court is officially back in session.

Former Saturday Night Live castmember Melissa Villaseñor opened up this week about her decision to leave the show, and it doesn’t sound like it was an easy one.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Jack Harlow will serve as the host and musical guest on the next episode of “Saturday Night Live,” set to air on Oct. 29. “SNL” announced the booking on this week’s episode, which also features another music star as both host and musical guest: Megan Thee Stallion. This reps the first time Harlow has hosted “SNL,” and his second time as musical performer. He made his ‘Saturday Night Live’ debut as musical guest on March 27, 2021, alongside host Maya Rudolph. Harlow released his major label debut “That’s What They All Say” in 2020, and followed that up with this year’s “Come Home the Kids Miss You.” In 2021, he was named Variety’s hitmaker of the year.Harlow was just named songwriter of the year at the SESAC Music Awards. 

Seven of the comedy sketch show’s cast members left the show at the end of last season — Pete Davidson, Chris Redd, Kate McKinnon, Kyle Mooney, Aidy Bryant, Melissa Villasenor and Alex Moffat — leading to speculation that others including Strong would also be walking away. The comedian and actress, who has been on the show for nine seasons, didn’t appear in any skits on the season premiere hosted by Miles Teller and musical guest Kendrick Lamar, but several sources have confirmed that Strong will return later this season.

Saturday Night Live is back!

#SNLPremiere pic.twitter.com/kH1cttLSts“Oh, good. Trump sketch,” Teller says as Peyton Manning. “Way to mix it up!” The skit made fun of the politically motivated direction the show has taken in past seasons, along with the recent exit of the show’s most beloved cast members.Veteran cast members Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, and Kyle Mooney all made their final SNL appearances on the show’s 47th season finale in May.

Saturday Night Live’s Season 48 opener was all about change.

Miles Teller made his childhood dreams come true as the host of Saturday Night Live.

Wilson Chapman editor After a summer filled with cast exits and goodbyes, “Saturday Night Live” opened its 48th Season by poking fun at both frequent target President Trump and its own rebuilding period. The sketch starred the premiere’s host Miles Teller and cast member Andrew Dismukes as sports stars and brother’s Peyton and Eli Manning, in a parody of their “Monday Night Football” commentary show “Manningcast.” However, instead of analyzing the plays of a football game, the two instead turned their insight into the opening sketch of “Saturday Night Live’s” new season. At the top of the sketch, Teller as Peyton addressed the shakeups that the series has gone through other the summer, which saw eight cast members — Chris Redd, Alex Moffat, Aristotle Athari, Melissa Villasenor, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant and Kyle Mooney — announce their departures from the long-running sketch comedy series. “There are a lot of changes at the show, which could be exciting,” Teller said. “Let’s see what they came up with.”

has undergone a lot of retooling over the summer — with a lot of castmembers exiting the show and four new actors signing on. So they made sure to address the slew of differences with a self-referential cold-open featuring the night's host,Miles Teller.Teller played Payton Manning, joined by his brother Eli Manning (Andrew Dismukes), as they live-commented on the cold-open sketch, and brutally criticized the sketch.The bit got even more meta when Jon Hamm joined Payton and Eli as a special guest commentator and all three of them got in on the fun of making fun of the cast's gaffes in the sketch-within-a-sketch.At one point, Shawn White showed up for a one-line cameo and Hamm joked, «Well, you know, sometimes they need to bring in a real celebrity when the host isn't that famous… I mean, they couldn't get the star of the big summer movie, like, Tom Cruise or John Hamm, they had to get the costar.»Payton (again, played by Teller, the night's host) indignantly replied, «Well, I heard they rarely put the hosts in cold open, so when they do, it is special.»«Special? Or is it desperate?» Hamm shot back.By using the sketch-within-a-sketch conceit, the show managed to not only poke fun at themselves, they got a chance to introduce all the new castmembers while also ingratiating themselves to new audiences with a bit of self-deprecation.Now only time will tell how the new, remarkably smaller cast will gel over the course of the season.

It’s been a hectic off-season for Saturday Night Live, with longtime cast members leaving and new faces coming on board. Tonight, the show begins its 48th season, hosted by Top Gun star Miles Teller, with Kendrick Lamar as the musical guest.

As "Saturday Night Live" cast members prepare for Season 48, viewers will see multiple new faces on stage tonight after the largest cast overhaul in its history.  Executive producer and creator Lorne Michaels blamed the pandemic for the late-night comedy show's recent turnover. "The pandemic had put us in this position where no one could really leave, because there were no jobs," Michaels said, according to the New York Times.  He continued to say that there "was no place to go" for the comedians who have been on the show for years amid the tumultuous times of the pandemic – which he called a "transition year." Some of ‘Saturday Night Live’s' prominent cast members who exited the stage for good include Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor and Aristotle Athari, as well as Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon and Kyle Mooney.

tweeted with the list of upcoming performers. The show will look drastically different from previous seasons as longtime cast members Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, Kyle Mooney, Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, and Aristotle Athari have all left the late-night show.

“Saturday Night Live” is back! Season 48 will debut Oct. 1 on NBC with Miles Teller making his hosting debut on the heels of his box-office hit “Top Gun: Maverick.”Kendrick Lamar will be the musical guest for the premiere, returning to “SNL” for the third time. He’s currently on a world tour for his latest album, “Mr.

Saturday Night Live has found its season openers.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Megan Thee Stallion will pull double duty as both host and musical guest next month as “Saturday Night Live” returns for its first three shows of the new season. But first, as “SNL” Season 48 launches on Oct. 1, Miles Teller will make his debut as host for the first time. Brandon Gleeson has also been lined up for his first ever “SNL” hosting stint. NBC announced on Tuesday that “SNL” will return with three consecutive shows on Oct. 1, Oct. 8 and Oct. 15, featuring three first-time hosts. First up as host is Teller, who currently stars in the summer blockbuster “Saturday Night Live,” will open the “SNL” season with musical guest Kendrick Lamar. It’s Lamar’s third time as “SNL” music performer; the Grammy winner currently on tour promoting his new album “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.”

is losing another cast member, ahead of the season 48 premiere. Chris Redd announced that he will not be returning for the upcoming season of the sketch comedy series.  “Being a part of  has been the experience of a lifetime.

Chris Redd has left 'Saturday Night Live. ' The 37-year-old star has been part of the ensemble cast of the long-running NBC variety show since 2017 and became known for impersonating the likes of rap star Kanye West and Mayor Eric Adams, and although he will not be returning for the show's 48th season, he remains "grateful" for having had the "experience of a lifetime. " In a statement, he said: "Being a part of 'SNL' has been the experience of a lifetime.

Chris Redd is leaving “Saturday Night Live”.

according to reports. His departure marks the latest exit amid a larger exodus of big names that have departed from “SNL” in recent months.“Being part of ‘SNL’ has been the experience of a lifetime,” he said in a statement that was shared on social media.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Add Chris Redd to the list of veteran cast members walking away from “Saturday Night Live.” Redd has decided to exit NBC’s venerable late-night showcase after five seasons on the program, and is just the latest member of what has been one of the program’s largest casts in recent memory to leave ahead of its 48th season. Lorne Michaels, the show’s longtime executive producer, had anticipated a season of change earlier in the year, and recently suggested the current group of comics stayed together to help each other get through the pandemic. “Being a part of ‘SNL’ has been the experience of a lifetime. Five years ago, I walked into 30 Rock knowing that this was an amazing opportunity for growth,:” Redd said in a statement. “Now, with friends who have become family and memories I will cherish forever, I’m grateful to Lorne Michaels and to the entire ‘SNL’ organization. From the bottom of my heart, I can’t thank you all enough.”

Chris Redd is the latest SNL cast member to exit the NBC show.