“Saturday Night Live” Hires Two Black Female Writers
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NBC(LOS ANGELES) — Days after it added a black female performer to its cast, Saturday Night Live has brought more diversity to its writing staff.
The Hollywood Reporter says the NBC sketch-comedy program has hired two black comediennes, Leslie Jones and LaKendra Tookes, as writers. Their first day of work will be Monday.
Jones has made appearances on the cable comedies The League and Sullivan & Son. Tookes is a former news reporter.
Both women took part in the recent auditions SNL held for black female comediennes after the show faced criticism last fall that the cast lacked diversity.
Earlier this week, NBC announced that Sasheer Zamata has joined the SNL cast. She’ll make her first appearance on the show Jan. 18, when SNL returns from hiatus.
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