Jay Pharoah, late of ‘SNL,’ cast as lead in Showtime pilot

In what may be a hint about Jay Pharoah’s mysterious exit from “Saturday Night Live,” the actor and impressionist has been cast in the lead role of “White Famous,” a pilot for a Showtime comedy series.

Jamie Foxx is among the executive producers for the show, about a comedian wrestling with keeping his street cred while gaining popularity in the mainstream. Foxx is expected to appear in a recurring role.

NBC confirmed on Monday that Pharoah and Taran Killam, another six-season veteran of “SNL,” will not be part of the cast this fall. While Killam said it was NBC’s decision to let him go and claimed no knowledge of the reasoning, Pharoah has been silent about his departure.

On Thursday, he tweeted links to various reports about his Showtime casting and a photo indicating he’s in a celebratory mood:

Killam, too, is in business with Showtime, signing on to star as a newly divorced man on the comedy pilot “Mating.”