An Ontario comedian is making the leap onto one of the biggest stages in comedy, becoming one of five new cast members joining Saturday Night Live this fall.
Barrie, Ont. native and rising star Veronika Slowikowska will not only be the sole Canadian among the newcomers but also the only woman added to the cast when the NBC comedy show premieres on Oct. 4.
The 29-year-old performer has been steadily building her career since graduating from Randolph College for the Performing Arts in 2015. She further shaped her craft through the Canadian Film Centre’s CBC Actors Conservatory program in 2019.
Lately, Slowikowska is best known for her comedic presence on social media and her breakout television in trending shows such as in FX’s What We Do We in the Shadows and Netflix’s Tires.
Her roots in sketch comedy trace back to the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival (TOsketchfest), where she performed as part of the troupe My Chemical Bromance in 2019. The festival’s executive director, Paul Snepsts, celebrated the news of her casting and pointed to a growing trend of TOsketchfest alumni making their mark on SNL.
“We’re thrilled to see TOsketchfest alumni make waves on SNL, the biggest sketch comedy stage there is,” Snepsts told Now Toronto. “As Celeste Yim wraps up an incredible run as a writer at Saturday Night Live, fellow festival alum Veronika Slowikowska joins the cast. The water’s warm, Lorne [Michaels]… maybe it’s time to spend a little more time at TOsketchfest.”
Kathryn Emslie, Executive Lead of Programs, Talent Development & Content Creation at the Canadian Film Centre (CFC), echoed that excitement and praised Slowikowska’s versatility and authenticity as a performer.
“Before taking part in our CBC Actors Conservatory, Veronika was already on our radar, having been cast in a number of CFC productions where she just lit up the screen with this wonderful kinetic energy,” Emslie said.
“She was eager to step outside of her comfort zone and explore different aspects of her craft – and she did that with remarkable fearlessness.”
Emslie noted that during her time at the CFC, Slowikowska developed a unique blend of sharp comedic instincts and emotional depth, calling her “collaborative, unpretentious, fast, funny, clever, bold,” and perhaps most importantly, “funny without trying to be funny.”
“Veronika will add to the extraordinary legacy of Canadian comedic talent who have given us remarkable characters that have not only entertained but shaped our view of the world,” Emslie added. “SNL is smart to bring her on board.”
As she prepares to step on the stage, Slowikowska joins an impressive long list of Canadians who have left a lasting mark on the show, like Dan Aykroyd, Norm MacDonald and Mike Myers.
