Posted in: NBC, TV | Tagged: saturday night live, snl

SNL Alum Taran Killam Praises Season 51 Cast, Loved Powell Episode

Taran Killam (Stumble) discusses his SNL run, his thoughts on the Season 51 cast, and why the Glen Powell-hosted episode worked for him.

You can always leave SNL, but SNL never really leaves you, as alum Taran Killam will always be grateful for his time on the NBC weekly late-night series, currently in its 51st season. During his memorable run from 2010 to 2016, the actor made several notable impressions, including those of Christoph Waltz, Matthew McConaughey, senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, Piers Morgan, Liam Neeson, Brad Pitt, and Andy Cohen. Among his original characters are Weekend Update favourite Jebidiah Atkinson, Jonathan Canavaugh-san, Eddie, and Francois. Since SNL, Killam has remained active in TV, film, and voiceovers, with memorable roles in PBS Kids' Nature Cat, Universal's Night School (2018) and River Wild (2023), and ABC's High Potential. While promoting his latest NBC mockumentary comedy, Stumble, the actor spoke to Bleeding Cool to reflect on his time on Saturday Night Live, his review of the November 15th episode with The Running Man (2025) star Glen Powell hosting, who stood out among the SNL season 51 cast, and what he takes away from his time as a cast member.

SNL Alum Taran Killam on Season 51 Cast, and His Biggest Lesson from the Series

It's been almost ten years since you left SNL, and I was wondering if there was one invaluable thing that you got most from being on that run. The second part is about how you feel about the cast changes over the years, and if you have any quick thoughts on Season 51's cast?

I think the cast is amazing right now. I thought the Glenn Powell episode was one of the best I've seen in a long time. Ashley Padillia is amazing. I've loved James [Austin Johnson], Sarah Sherman, and Chloe's [Fineman] brilliant [work]. I really like Jeremy [Culhane] and Tom [Brennan]. These new guys…Veronika's [Slowikowska] so good. Marcelo [Hernández] is very strong and incredible. It is an impressive and stacked cast right now. Again, with Glenn Powell hosting, there were no duds in that to me. It was one of the best Weekend Updates I've ever seen.

What did I learn? I learned so much from my time in SNL. I think the most valuable lesson is not to be precious. To find the best work, you must be willing to kill your darlings and move on, and if it's not working, scrap it and start from scratch. No job in Showbiz teaches you that more frequently and more valuably than Saturday Night Live.

The next episode of SNL airs on December 6th, with host Melissa McCarthy and musical guest Dijon on NBC. Stumble, which also stars Jenn Lyon, Anissa Borrego, Jarrett Austin Brown, Arianna Davis, Taylor Dunbar, Georgie Murphy, Ryan Pinkston, and Kristin Chenoweth, airs Fridays on NBC.

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