'Saturday Night Live' Adds 20-Year-Old Comedian Pete Davidson to Cast

Saturday Night Live is casting young. Really young: 20-year-old comedian Pete Davidson has joined the cast as a featured player for season 40 of SNL. He is this season's only new featured player.

Davidson, a New York native, began pursuing comedy at the age of 16 as an outlet for dealing with the loss of his father, a New York City firefighter who died on 9/11. Davidson was noticed by Nick Cannon, who took him on as a protege, getting him a fairly regular gig on Wild 'N Out, in addition to appearances on the MTV2 show Guy Code. Cannon even cast Davidson in his direct-to-video film School Dance.

That said, it's easier said than done making a name for yourself on the SNL cast, as featured players tend to have a harder time getting regular sketch appearances in the crowded broadcasts. Three of the seven new featured players from last season -- Noël Wells, John Milhiser, and Brooks Wheelan -- were let go in July, and you could be forgiven for not recognizing them simply for how infrequently they appeared in sketches.

However, while Davidson will be the only new featured player, he won't be the only new performer added to the cast, as former show writer Michael Che is being brought on-board as the new co-anchor of Weekend Update alongside head writer Colin Jost.

The 40th season of Saturday Night Live premieres on September 27 with host Chris Pratt and musical guest Ariana Grande. Until then, get a look at some of Davidson's comedy in this stand-up routine from his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live below:

Via: Deadline