Photo: REX USA/Erik Pendzich.
Calling all funny women: It looks like Saturday Night Live is hiring again. After adding seven new cast members last season, Lorne Michaels might be in the market for one more, as fan favorite Nasim Pedrad is likely leaving.
The SNL vet attended the ATX Television Festival on Sunday, where she joined the panel for the new FOX sitcom Mulaney. After the network announced that it will be picking up the series for the 2014-2015 season, Pedrad's days at studio 8H were all but numbered, especially since Mulaney shoots in Los Angeles. "I haven’t heard any official word so far, but I love this show so much,” she said of her new gig during the panel. “I have an apartment in L.A., and, as far as I know, I’m in L.A. now.”
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Despite joining SNL in 2009, Pedrad never emerged as a breakout star, and often took a backseat to more visible female cast members like Kristen Wiig, Vanessa Bayer, Kate McKinnon, and most recently Cecily Strong. Pedrad was perhaps best known for her many impersonations, including her spot-on Kim Kardashian, which she performed on the show 13 times.
On Mulaney, Pedrad should get more of a chance to shine as Jane, one of the title character's roommates. The multi-camera comedy is one of the most anticipated new shows of the fall, and stars ex-SNL writer John Mulaney as a rising stand-up comic trying to make it in New York. If the show hits with audiences, Pedrad will have the chance to become a household name, an opportunity she's clearly excited about. "I think we’re all in with this show,” she added.
The question now becomes, who will replace Pedrad as Kim Kardashian? Two words: Cecily. Strong. (Vulture)