Saturday Night Live is not only adding a new African-American woman to its cast but two to its writers' room as well.
LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones, who were discovered during the sketch show's recent auditions, will join SNL's writers' room starting Monday, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Tookes and Jones were both among the Black female comedians who auditioned during showcases held in New York and Los Angeles after the long-running Lorne Michaels sketch series faced widespread criticism that its new cast lacked diversity — specifically the inclusion of an African-American woman.
