Urgent plea to Lorne Michaels: Sherri Shepherd says ‘SNL’ must replace Ego Nwodim with a Black woman “now” to restore vital representation.
When Sherri Shepherd tuned into Saturday Night Live last weekend, she says she noticed more than a missing sketch — she noticed a glaring gap.
On her daytime show, the actress and comedian argued that the long-running late-night institution can’t leave a hole where Black female voices used to be, and she urged the show’s producers to move fast.
Shepherd made the case that Ego Nwodim’s departure leaves SNL without a Black woman in the cast for the first time in more than a decade. For her, this isn’t a slow-burning issue: it’s immediate. She framed the situation as urgent, insisting the show “break the glass” and bring a Black female comic onto the roster right away.
Her point isn’t just about optics. Shepherd pointed out a historical pattern on SNL — when Black women weren’t available in the cast, the show often leaned on male performers to fill those roles in drag. It’s a reminder that representation matters not only on the stage but in how sketches are conceived and who gets to speak for whom in pop culture parody.
Shepherd didn’t leave it at criticism. She name-dropped several Black women comics she believes deserve a shot — performers she’s seen shine firsthand — and encouraged SNL to stop using “We can’t find anybody” as an excuse. According to her, the talent pool is alive and waiting in comedy clubs, improv houses and writers’ rooms across the country.
Why this matters now: SNL remains a major launchpad. A cast spot brings national visibility, opens doors in TV and film, and helps shape how mainstream America sees — and laughs at — itself. Losing a Black woman from that platform doesn’t just reduce diversity on a stage; it narrows the range of stories and impressions that reach millions each week.
I’ll be blunt: Shepherd is right to raise the alarm. Casting decisions aren’t purely symbolic — they change the kinds of jokes that get made, the targets who get humanized, and which voices are considered “universal.”
When a show with SNL’s cultural weight lacks a Black female presence, viewers miss out on perspective, satire and authenticity that only those entertainers can bring. Hiring thoughtfully — and quickly — would be both a creative and cultural win.
There’s also a practical angle SNL can’t ignore. Comedy scenes in cities from Atlanta to Los Angeles to New York are flush with Black female talent doing stand-up, sketch and improv.
Producers who actually scout those rooms will find performers already crafting the impressions and characters SNL needs. Putting a Black woman on the cast won’t be charity; it will be a strategic bet on better, richer sketch comedy.
Shepherd’s plea lands amid a wider conversation about representation across TV. It’s an ask that’s simple on its face — cast a Black woman — but its ripple effects would be meaningful: new viewpoints in the writers’ room, fresher impressions in celebrity sketches, and more accurate takes on everyday life for millions of viewers.
So here’s the challenge to Lorne Michaels and company: don’t let this be a missed moment. Hire someone who can bring new life and perspective to the show. The comedy world has ample candidates; the question now is whether one of them will get her shot.
What do you think? Which Black female comedian deserves an #SNL tryout? Drop your picks and hot takes in the comments — and share this story if you agree Shepherd’s call should be heard loud and clear.
