Five New SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Cast Members Revealed

SNL enters its 39th season on September 28 - and this year, a slew of familiar players are departing the the long-running sketch comedy show.

As previously announced, Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, and Jason Sudeikis will not return, with Seth Meyers exiting at midseason to host LATE NIGHT, while Jimmy Fallon moves over to THE TONIGHT SHOW.

With such an overhaul comes the potential for some fresh faces to step in and take reins.

The Hollywood Reporter has announced that SNL has chosen five new cast members to be added to the ranks, including seasoned show writer Mike O'Brien. Also joining the show are Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney, the USC pair who founded the comedy group Good Neighbor, and physical comedians John Milhiser and Noel Wells.

An inside source told THR that the comedy hunt was extended from New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago to Portland and Boston this time around. "This was the most public search for talent that I've seen...Everyone was talking about it, and everyone was aware of it."

For The Hollywood Reporter's original announcement, click here.

As previously reported, SNL alum and 30 ROCK star/creator Tina Fey will return to host the season opener on Sept. 28, with Miley Cyrus set to pull double duty as host and performer on Oct. 5.

"Saturday Night Live," NBC's Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase, enters its 38th season in September for another year of laughs, surprises and great performances.

Since its inception in 1975, "SNL" has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of their generation; and, as The New York Times noted on the occasion of the show's Emmy-winning 25th Anniversary special in 1999: "In defiance of both time and show business convention, 'SNL' is still the most pervasive influence on the art of comedy in contemporary culture." At the close of the century, "Saturday Night Live" placed seventh on Entertainment Weekly's list of the Top 100 Entertainers of the past fifty years.

The program has won 36 Emmy Awards and now holds the title for the most nominated television show in Emmy history with 156 nominations. "SNL" has been honored twice, in 1990 and 2009, with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and cited as "truly a national institution." "Saturday Night Live" was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame by the National Association of Broadcasters, and the show continues to garner the highest ratings of any late-night television program, entertaining millions each week.

"SNL" sketches still bear repeating on Monday mornings. With live show surprises, especially those timed to the election - from Barack Obama's surprise walk-on, Hillary Clinton's performance opposite Amy Poehler, and Senator John McCain's "Weekend Update" appearance - "SNL" is making headlines and influencing the political dialogue while skewering it at the same time. Beyond politics, the show's cast of recurring characters and take on pop culture targets remains spot-on. The addition of the show's Emmy Award-winning SNL Digital Shorts continues to keep the show as current today as it was when it debuted.

Last season, the show continued its unparalleled tradition of featuring both blockbuster and breakout musical acts, hosting such performers as Radiohead, Lady Antebellum, Foster The People, Drake, Maroon 5, Coldplay, Florence and the Machine, The Black Keys, Robyn, Michael Bublé, Kelly Clarkson, Lana Del Rey, Bon Iver, Karmin, Sleigh Bells, Jack White, The Shins, One Direction, Gotye, Rihanna, Usher, and Mick Jagger.

Photo Courtesy of NBC

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