'SNL' adds two African-American female writers to its staff

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that “Saturday Night Live” is adding two female African-American writers to its show, hot on the heels of the announcement that Sasheer Zamata was joining the cast — the first black female to be added to the show’s on-camera roster in five years. Zamata makes her debut on Jan. 18.

According to the website, “LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones, who were discovered during the sketch show’s recent auditions, will join SNL’s writers’ room starting Monday. 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.”

THR further reports that “Jones, a stand-up actress-comedian who was a finalist for the new cast member spot, has performed at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles while actress-comedian Tookes, meanwhile, is a former news reporter from Florida who has performed at iO West.”

Read the full story at www.thehollywoodreporter.com.