It may be the offseason for Saturday Night Live, but that doesn't necessarily mean its a slow time for the sketch show. The cast has already seen one major change, and now Kam Patterson seemingly confirmed his Saturday Night Live future.
Speaking to USA Today about his upcoming movie 72 Hours, Patterson gave the outlet an exclusive about his Saturday Night LIve future after debuting on the series in season 51.
The stand-up comedian joined co-stars (and fellow SNL cast members) Marcello Hernandez and Ben Marshall for a conversation about their movie. When Hernandez asked Patterson if he'll be back, Patterson confirmed he's not leaving Studio 8H after just one season.
Like so many featured players before him, Patterson didn't exactly hit the ground running or make an immediate splash on Saturday Night Live. Part of that may be due to his background in stand-up comedy compared to sketch. There's also the 27-year-old's overall lack of performance experience, having only started his career five years ago.
However, as season 51 went on, Patterson seemed to carve out a spot for himself. He put his charisma and stand-up skills to good use at the "Weekend Update" desk, and also had popular characters like the new Professor Snape.
Fans were pretty well divided on Patterson during his freshman season. But he was facing a difficult task of shedding expectations tied to his Kill Tony background while entering uncharted territory as a sketch performer.
Perhaps the reason Patterson came on strong toward the end of the season was the mentorship he received from Marcello Hernandez. The pair, along with Marshall, already met and filmed most of 72 Hours before Patterson auditioned for Saturday Night Live.
In addition to helping him through the process of trying out for the show, Hernandez took Patterson under his wing. "I'm Kam's big bro at the show," Hernandez told USA Today. "I take care of my boy. I gave him a tour when he got there. I told him who's who and what's what. And anytime he's feeling lost, he'll wander into my office, I'll talk to him, and then he gets back out there on the field."
News about Patterson's return to Studio 8H comes just a week after Chloe Fineman confirmed her exit from the show. Both performers feeling comfortable going public about their status could also indicate that the rest of Saturday Night Live's cast know their fate, whether leaving by choice or not.
With a little over a month left until Saturday Night Live season 52 is expected to return to NBC, this probably won't be the last cast update fans get. Stay tuned.
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