SNL Makes History With First Out Nonbinary Cast Member
Saturday Night Live will debut its first out nonbinary cast member in its nearly 50-year-history: actor and comedian Molly Kearney.
Kearney was one of four new additions announced by the famed comedy skit show on Thursday. According to the Washington Post, they will join the cast for SNL’s 48th season, which has seen major shake-ups in its lineup over the last few months.
Kearney shared the news on their Instagram account Thursday night: “Head exploding!! Thanks for all the love everyone.”
Kearney is best known for their role as Fern Dannely in the Amazon Prime series A League of Their Own. Los Angeles-based Kearney has also traveled the country as a stand-up comic and produces a monthly outdoor stand-up show called The Big One. Marcello Hernandez, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker were also revealed to be joining the show, which premieres October 1.
SNL has a long but patchy history of LGBTQ+ cast members. Terry Sweeney and Danitra Vance both made history in 1985, with Sweeney as its first out gay cast member and Vance as its first lesbian cast member, although she was not out at the time, the Advocate reported. Both left after one season.
It was 2012 before another out queer person would join the cast. Kate McKinnon became the show’s first out woman. The show has never had an out transgender person as part of its ensemble and, as recently as 2021, has been accused by viewers of airing “homophobic” and “transphobic” jokes.
Kearney is joining the cast at a time of major change with seven members of the award-winning ensemble not returning for the show’s upcoming season, including some of its most high-profile names.
McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, and Pete Davidson said goodbye in May during the season finale. In September, three more cast members said they would not be returning: Melissa Villaseñor, the show’s first Latina cast member, Alex Moffat, and Aristotle Athari, the first Middle Eastern man to join the sketch ensemble. Longtime producer Lindsay Shookus also announced she would be leaving in August.
“There are new people, and things are changing, and a different generation comes to the show,” said executive producer Lorne Michaels.
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