Who is Emil Wakim? Meet the first Lebanese Saturday Night Live cast member

The Lebanese-American entertainer is one of three new members added to the late-night comedy show's roster

Emil Wakim's pedigree has been rising following a series of TV appearances, including on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2022. Getty Images

Emil Wakim is the first Lebanese-American cast member of Saturday Night Live. The Chicago-born comedian is among three new members joining the late-night comedy show. He will be a featured player, along with comedians Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline.

Wakim confirmed the news on Instagram. “Too many words to say and too many people to thank. This is beyond a dream,” he wrote, posting pictures of his family’s reactions to the news.

On the long-running series, which will celebrate its 50th season, new or emerging cast members are designated featured players while established cast members, such as Michael Che or Heide Gardner, are called repertory players.

SNL has been an American television staple since 1975. The show is celebrated for its social commentary and political satire, aspects that fall neatly into Wakim’s comic toolbox. While becoming a cast member of the show marks a high point in Wakim’s career, the comedian, 26, has been steadily striding into the mainstream limelight over the past few years.

Emil Wakim's life and career

Wakim was born in Chicago and grew up in Indiana, where he began his journey as a stand-up comedian. His material draws from social and political dynamics as well as his experiences growing up in an immigrant family in the US.

Wakim has opened for several star comedians, including Hasan Minhaj, Nikki Glaser and Roy Wood Jr. However, his big break came in 2022 when he made his first appearance on late-night television, performing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

“It’s tense racially. You can feel it in the country,” he said during the show. “I worry all the time about people in my life. My dad is an immigrant, so I worry every day that someone is going to treat him poorly because of the colour of his skin. And my mum is a white lady from the suburbs so I worry that she’s going to be the one to do it. Dude! Every time my mom starts yelling at my dad for something now, I just start recording her on my cellphone.”

Wakim’s performance on the show received a standing ovation. In an interview with Vulture in September, Wakim said appearing on the show was a highlight in his career. “It’s still crazy to me that I survived it,” he said. “Just the anticipation leading up to the taping was crazy. I was so anxious, it didn’t even register. I’m shocked I could fall asleep at all the night before.

“It was also huge for my parents because it was finally a thing where all their friends and co-workers knew what it was. So it gave them a lot of closure that they could stop wincing when they tried to explain to their friends that a JFL [Just for Laughs] audition was a big deal or whatever.”

The emerging performer has also brought his comedy to the region. In August, he performed in Beirut, where Lebanese-Canadian comedian Malik Elassal was also on the bill.