Brooks Wheelan fired after one season on Saturday Night Live

Brooks Wheelan was a last-minute addition to the cast of Saturday Night Live, originally hired on last summer as a writer.

On Monday, after a transitional 39th season at SNL that saw its biggest cast in two decades vying for stage time, Wheelan announced on Twitter that he was one-and-done with the show.

The show sometimes made light of all the new cast members last season; perhaps none took it in stride quite as well as Wheelan. In a “Celebrity Family Feud” sketch during the Christmas episode, with the other cast members all showcasing impersonations, Wheelan played himself. Keenan Thompson, as Steve Harvey, questioned Wheelan’s presence in the scene. “I’m on Saturday Night Live!” Wheelan said. Thompson, as Harvey, replied: “I doubt it. You’re saying I can turn on SNL and see you on there?”

“Uh, uh, yeah! I mean, sometimes. Not a lot. But it’s cool!” Wheelan said.

After all, he was a stand-up comedian from Los Angeles who grew up in Iowa. He wasn’t a veteran sketch or improv guy. So he made what marks he could by delivering routines on Weekend Update or filling colorful roles in digital shorts. He co-wrote the “12 Years A Slave Auditions” short with Michael Che, for example. He also burst across the screen in an ad spoof for E-Meth.

Just a month ago, Wheelan showed us his set list from his final audition at the 30 Rock studios of SNL.

BrooksWheelan_SNL_audition_setlist

Wheelan wrote last month on his Tumblr: “Just found the napkin I wrote my set list on when I auditioned for the show. Kinda cool.”

Still cool.

Nasim Pedrad also is expected to announce her departure from the show — she’s already working on another series executive-produced by Lorne Michaels, Mulaney, which debuts this fall on FOX.

No word on any other cast changes. Those usually don’t happen until the end of the summer, anyhow.

Wheelan joins an illustrious group of comedians whose tenure at SNL only lasted one season, including Ben Stiller, Damon Wayans, Gilbert Gottfried, Sarah Silverman, Janeane Garofalo, Robert Downey Jr. and more. In the meantime, here is Wheelan offering his favorite moments to the SNL Backstage crew for YouTube.

And here are those sketches, extended.

https://www.hulu.com/watch/539028

https://www.hulu.com/watch/544701

https://www.hulu.com/watch/618471

https://www.hulu.com/watch/550565

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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