Comedian Molly Kearney has made history as the first non-binary Saturday Night Live cast member.
On 15 September, the long-running series announced Kearney and three other comedians as featured players ahead of their 48th season premiere.
Shortly after the news made headlines, the comedic talent – who uses they/them pronouns – took to Instagram to express their excitement over their inclusion.
“MEATBRICK MOVED TO NEW YORK!!!!” they wrote.
Before landing a regular spot on SNL, Kearney made waves for their performances in Disney+’s The Mighty Ducks and Comedy Central’s Up Next 2019 showcase.
Recently, they starred in the hit LGBTQ+ series A League of their Own – which is based on the 1992 film of the same name.
Kearney’s landmark inclusion comes a few months after SNL experienced a shocking cast shake-up.
Ahead of the 47th season finale, an array of series regulars – including Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson and Kyle Mooney – announced their departure from the show.
Joe vs Carole star Kate McKinnon also exited the series after serving as a full-time cast member for 10 years.
During McKinnon’s time on SNL, she delivered smart, witty and legendary characters, including Barbra DeDrew, Madame Vivelda, and Olya Povlatsky.
Most importantly, the talented comedian made LGBTQ+ history as the first out lesbian to join the show as a full-time cast member.
In a recent in-depth interview with Vulture’s Good One podcast, McKinnon recalled the emotional moment she told SNL creator Lorne Michaels about her exit.
“Telling Lorne was really hard. He knew it was coming. He was very sweet. But he has been a father figure to me and so much more,” she revealed in between tears.
“It was just really hard – simple human emotions, not wanting to say goodbye to something you love. This is fresh. It only happened two months ago.”
We can’t wait to watch Molly Kearney’s SNL debut on 1 October.
View this post on Instagram