Here’s the Latest Comedian Rumored to Be in the TikTok-to-‘SNL’ Pipeline
The Saturday Night Live offseason talent exodus has begun. Devon Walker and Emil Wakim have both left the show’s cast, and Lorne Michaels is purportedly eyeing the next social media darling who he hopes will convince Gen Z to care about a show that’s as old as their parents.
In addition to Walker and Wakim’s departure from the Saturday Night Live cast, the SNL writers’ room lost key players Rosebud Baker and Celeste Yim as the dreaded turnover week that Michaels teased during a recent interview with Puck proves to be more about subtraction than addition thus far. With just over a month to go until the premiere of SNL Season 51 on October 4th, the show’s loyal followers are antsy to find out who will be making the jump from TikTok to 30 Rock, and SNL fans seem to be fixated on one possible candidate above all others: 29-year-old Tires star Veronika Slowikowska, whose specific brand of cringe humor has earned her over one million Instagram followers.
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After Slowikowska danced around a question about her candidacy for the most exclusive cast in comedy during a podcast appearance on Take Your Shoes Off, entertainment writers and SNL fans have been convinced that she will be the latest TikTok star to make it to the big stage, just like Jane Wickline last season. That should finally get the attention of Slowikowska’s roommate.
When Take Your Shoes Off host Rick Glassman asked Slowikowska if making it to Saturday Night Live is a dream of hers, and, additionally, whether or not she's “gotten close to it” thus far in her career, Slowikowska was playfully evasive in her answer, perhaps hinting that such a dream might be close to coming true.
“I don't know if I’m allowed to say,” Slowikowska coyly answered. “Cut it, cut it, cut it! Don’t say anything!”
Whether this was just Slowikowska riffing on a comedy podcast or a hint that she will be on Saturday Night Live Season 51 will become clear in the next few weeks, but until then, the Saturday Night Live fan community will debate whether or not Slowikowska will be the next internet comedian to be plucked by Michaels off of TikTok and onto the Studio 8H stage —- and whether or not she deserves it.
In a Reddit thread about Slowikowska’s rumored involvement SNL Season 51, one fan said of her chances at joining the cast, “Well at the very least it seems that she auditioned.”
“I think in terms of TikTok sketch comics she’s a better choice than Jane (who would probably work better as a writer),” another added. “Veronika’s strength on TikTok is awkward comedy in a similar vein to Kyle Mooney. I don’t know what kind of range she has beyond that. I have my favorites from TikTok and while she’s not a number one she’s definitely got her own thing going and built a following.”
Elsewhere in the Saturday Night Live subreddit, fans pushed back at the potential casting, offering their own preferred internet stars as candidates to join the show. “Just pick Lisa Gilroy and be done with it!” the top commenter wrote, speaking of the Dropout and Comedy Bang! Bang mainstay.
Presumably, Michaels has auditioned many such successful comedy content creators in his search to find the perfect piece of fresh meat for the SNL grinder. Only time will tell who gets to be SNL’s next top TikTok star and appear in four sketches over their first season.
