SNL Adds Grace Reiter, Saidah Belo-Osagie to Season 52 — SkimNews
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- Grace Reiter and Saidah Belo-Osagie join SNL's Season 52 as the first new cast additions, completing the final casting announcement of the season.
- Reiter is a Wisconsin-born stand-up comedian who built a following on TikTok and YouTube, starred in Tim Robinson's HBO series "The Chair Company," and was named to Variety's 10 Creators to Watch earlier this year.
- Belo-Osagie is a Nigerian American filmmaker and comedian from Queens who created the "Afrobeats Futura" event series and the solo show "Saidah Gets Closure," and wrote and directed the 2020 short film "Tinge."
- The casting announcement arrived later than typical — SNL usually solidifies its troupe in early September — after auditions across Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago evaluated more than a dozen comedians.
- All Season 51 members return except Chloe Fineman, who announced her departure in July, and Bowen Yang, who left mid-season in December; writer Martin Herlihy of Please Don't Destroy is also exiting.
- Season 52 premieres Sept. 26 with Brunson hosting and Katseye as musical guest, followed by Dakota Johnson with Turnstile on Oct. 3, Shane Gillis with Rosalía on Oct. 10, and Inde Navarette with Gracie Abrams on Oct. 31.
Why it matters: SNL is refreshing its comedy bench with two emerging voices — a digital-native stand-up and a Nigerian American filmmaker — while holding the rest of the roster intact, a stability-first move for a 52-year-old franchise entering a post-Bowen Yang era after two notable exits.
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