SNL Loses One PLEASE DON’T DESTROY Member, Adds One to Cast

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NBC’s long-running comedic series, “Saturday Night Live” (SNL), is preparing for its 51st season. Over the years, this show has welcomed approximately 400 billion actors through the historic Studio 8H doors. Regardless of a season or era’s acclaim, SNL serves as a launchpad for new talent, often leaving viewers unfamiliar with cast members until they debut on the show. However, an exception exists in the upcoming season 51 lineup, as a member from the comedy troupe Please Don’t Destroy will join the main cast while another PDD member departs.

Over the past few weeks, some cast members decided not to renew their contracts or were not offered extensions. Notable among them is Heidi Gardner, who concluded her eight-season stint on the show after eight successful seasons. Another significant departure is John Higgins, a member of the comedy troupe Please Don’t Destroy, along with Ben Marshall and Martin Herlihy. They all joined SNL in 2021 as writers to create shorts for the show, emulating the success of The Lonely Island’s Digital Shorts from a decade ago.

With Higgins departing from SNL, one might wonder about the fate of the other two members. Interestingly, Herlihy remains a writer for the show, while Marshall has been promoted to a full cast member. According to Variety, this news comes as Higgins is venturing into other acting roles. The trio continues their tour, entertaining audiences with skits on various stages. This suggests that Please Don’t Destroy isn’t disbanding, but rather their unique humor seems to be integrating more into the core SNL cast. It’s hard to imagine they’ll stop producing the digital shorts.

Saturday Night Live will return October 4.

As a passionate movie aficionado, I proudly serve as the Senior Editor at TopMob, where I delve into the intricacies of pop culture every week on my podcast, Laser Focus. You can catch my thoughts on films and television shows right here, and to stay updated on my latest reviews, be sure to follow me on Letterboxd.

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2025-09-02 22:33