Saturday Night Live is not messing around when it comes to its diversity issue. In addition to the news that the show is hiring its first black female cast member in more than five years, it appears the show will add two African-American women to its writer's room as well.
LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones were discovered during the sketch show's recent auditions for a young black female comedic actress. The ladies will join the SNL writer's room starting on Monday, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The auditions for a new cast member were held when Lorne Michael's long-running sketch show faced widespread criticism that its new round of cast hires was mostly made up of white men. The extra auditions are the first in the show's history, an unprecedented move from Michaels. Upright Citizens Brigade alum Sasheer Zamata will be joining the cast on January 18 when Drake hosts the show.
Jones is a stand-up comic and actress who was a finalist for the new cast member position. She has performed at the Comedy Store in L.A. and has guest starred in comedies including The League, Sullivan & Son and has written for and appeared on Def Comedy Jam and 1st Amendment Stand Up. She's performed at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal as well as the Aspen Comedy Festival. In 2011 she released a special called "Problem Child," which was broadcast on Showtime.
Tookes has a similar career as an actress and comedian. In addition, she is a former news reporter from Florida who has performed at iO West. It is not unusual for SNL to hire writers who were originally auditioning for cast member positions. Comedian and co-creator of the popular character Stephon, John Mulaney was one noteworthy name who made it to the SNL writer's room by way of the casting auditions.
