STORY: ‘Saturday Night Live’ Adds First African-American Female in Five Years Jones is repped by Integral Entertainment and Pierce Law Group.Īctress-comedian Tookes, meanwhile, is a former news reporter from Florida who has performed at iO West.

In 2011, her comedy special Problem Child was broadcast on Showtime. She’s performed at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal as well as the Aspen Comedy Festival. Jones, an actress and stand-up comedian who was a finalist for the new castmember spot, has performed at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, guest-starred in comedies including The League and Sullivan & Son, and written for and appeared on Def Comedy Jam and 1st Amendment Stand Up. Tookes and Jones were both among the black female comedians who auditioned during showcases held in New York and Los Angeles after the long-running Lorne Michaels sketch series faced widespread criticism that its new cast lacked diversity - specifically the inclusion of an African-American woman.įollowing the auditions - the first in SNL history to focus exclusively on minority women - Upright Citizens Brigade alum Sasheer Zamata was tapped to join the series. PHOTOS: ‘Saturday Night Live’: 10 Stars You Forgot Were Castmembers LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones, who were discovered during the sketch show’s recent auditions, will join SNL‘s writers’ room starting on Monday, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Saturday Night Livehas just added a new African-American woman to its cast, and now the show is adding two to its writers’ room as well.

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