'Saturday Night Live' Hired Two Black Female Writers Too

Credit: TheWrap

First came the official announcement that Sasheer Zamata would join the cast of Saturday Night Live, ending a more than five-year period in which SNL lacked a black female cast member. But the show hasn't just opted to employ women of color in front of the camera, as news now comes that the show has added some diversity behind the camera as well.

LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones have been hired as writers for the sketch comedy series, having impressed producers at the recent, “secret” auditions for potential African-American female cast members.

Tookes is a former journalist who trained at iO West in Los Angeles, while Jones is a stand-up comic who has also appeared in TV shows such as FX's The League and the TBS comedy Sullivan & Son, in addition to films such as National Security and Lottery Ticket. Jones also had a comedy special that aired on Showtime in 2011.

Jones and Tookes are expected to begin work on SNL later this month, so hopefully this means Jay Pharoah gets to do more than play President Obama.

Via: AV Club