UT Alum Joins Cast of Saturday Night Live

By Brittany Lamas in Blog on September 18, 2013 at 4:23 pm | 2 Comments

With uncanny impersonations of celebrities like Zooey Deschanel and Michelle Bachman in her arsenal, it was just a matter of time before Noël Wells, BA, BS ’10, was picked for the most sought-after job in the comedy world. NBC announced this week that six new featured players will be added to the cast of Saturday Night Live for the upcoming season, including Wells.

A radio-television-film and Plan II honors student while at UT, Wells has since spent time as a comedian, writer, editor, and actress for movies and comedy websites like CollegeHumor.com. She is also a member of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles.

Wells’ YouTube channel features a series called, “Hey! The Zooey Deschanel Show,” in which she spoofs the actress. Her videos have amassed more than 11 million views and picked up more than 23,000 subscribers since 2007.

According to USA Today, Wells and the five other new cast members will take over in place of former veteran cast members Jason Sudeikis, Fred Armisen, and Bill Hader, who all left the show after last season.

Wells’ first episode as a cast member of Saturday Night Live premieres Sept. 28, with Tina Fey as the host and musical guest Arcade Fire.