Sanz, Parnell Not Long for “SNL”?
If speculation is true, you’ve seen the last “Lazy Sunday” moment on Saturday Night Live.
Series regulars Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz and Kenan Thompson are in all likelihood not going to be back for the sketch comedy show’s 32nd season, which kicks off next month, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
As it turns out, however, the news that Sanz might become a victim of the budget cuts NBC has instigated over at SNL literally is news to Sanz, an eight-year veteran of the program.
“I haven’t been approached with anything that’s led me to believe I won’t be back,” the funnyman told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I definitely enjoy the job and would like to stick with it. It’s fun, and there will be a lot of change, which could be a little exciting.”
If the trio do end up exiting Rockefeller Center’s Studio 8H for good, that means five familiar faces will have become SNL history this year.
Head writer and “Weekend Update” coanchor Tina Fey left the show this summer to focus on her upcoming NBC sitcom 30 Rock–which, incidentally, takes place behind the scenes at a sketch comedy show–and longtime player Rachel Dratch took her final bow to join Fey and fellow ex-SNLer Tracy Morgan in the new venture.
Executive producer Lorne Michaels is expected to tap Jason Sudeikis to take over “Weekend Update” duties, while Seth Meyers was promoted to head writer.
There is no word yet on what new talent may be coming in to replace the man who, along with Andy Samberg, immortalized The Chronicles of Narnia, Google Maps and cupcakes, all in the same song; the show’s first Latino cast member, who started to look more like Elton John than Elton John does; and one of the series’ younger players whose spot-on impressions ranged from Al Sharpton to Bill Cosby to Star Jones.
According to the Times, negotiations are ongoing to get chameleon Darrell Hammond back this year, as well. Hammond, who does a mean Donald Trump and a literally mean Sean Connery (“The Rapist for $1,000, Trebek”), has had the longest tenure of any cast member to date, having joined the show in 1995.
Parnell and Sanz both joined SNL in 1998, although Parnell was not around for the entire 2001-02 season. The 39-year-old has branched out here and there with roles in Anchorman and Jingle All the Way, but not until this past year did he set the Internet a-blazin’ with his and Samberg’s “Lazy Sunday” duet.
Sanz’s extracurricular work includes serving up the nastiest plate of French toast ever in 2000’s Road Trip and then graduating to 2003’s Boat Trip, which he starred in with Cuba Gooding Jr.
Thompson, who played Fat Albert in 2004, became a featured player on SNL in 2003, having already sharpened his sketch show skills on the Nickelodeon series All That. He was upped to fulltime cast member status last year.
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