‘Saturday Night Live’ adds two additional black females to their writing staff
On the heels of introducing its first black woman cast member in years, Saturday Night Live has added two black women to its writing staff.
LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones, who also participated in the special auditions show creator Lorne Michaels held to find Sasheer Zamata, will begin their tenure on January 14.
Jones, a stand-up actress-comedian who was a finalist for the new castmember spot, has performed at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, has guest-starred in comedies including The League, Sullivan & Son and written and appeared on Def Comedy Jam and 1st Amendment Stand Up. She’s performed at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal as well as the Aspen Comedy Festival. In 2011, her comedy special Problem Child was broadcast on Showtime. Jones is repped by Integral Entertainment and Pierce Law Group.
Actress-comedian Tookes, meanwhile, is a former news reporter from Florida who has performed at iO West. Check out her. [,,,]
Sources tell THR that producers were impressed with both Tookes and Jones and thought they were talented, smart and funny. There are currently no plans to have either appear onscreen, though SNL writers in the past have transitioned to larger roles.
Read more at The Hollywood Reporter.
Congratulations to Tookes and Jones!
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