Saturday Night Live Season 52 premieres this fall on the 2026 TV schedule, and as of now, there aren’t any details about who will be returning and who could be leaving. Season 51 saw a mass cast exodus with several fan-favorites departing, while five new cast members joined. Now, some of those newbies are opening up about the advice series creator and producer Lorne Michaels has given them.
Joining a show like SNL isn't exactly easy. Many huge stars have come from SNL, but each of those cast members were battle tested, so to speak. Luckily, a lot of cast members -- current and former -- have given advice to new cast members. However, given Michaels' experience, he's a unique source of advice. When several of the new cast members spoke with Variety, Jeremy Culhane shared what Michaels does when he gives notes, and I wasn't expecting him to mention a Lord of the Rings character:
