Meet The New Hires Joining SNL For Season 44

'SNL' announced the latest additions to their roster, and three of the names joining the show for its upcoming 44th season are are headed to New York by way of Chicago.

Before the season premiere with Adam Driver and Kanye West on September 29th, get to know these talented performers & writers.

ALISON GATES

Alison Gates - The Second City

Born and raised in Massachusetts, new SNL writer Alison Gates is an alumna of The Second City Touring Company. She has also performed with with Virgin Daiquiri (iO Chicago), Glass Basement (iO Chicago), Trigger Happy (The Annoyance), and with her bud Garrett in The Fallen Elegant.

ALAN LINIC

Alan Linic - The Second City

Before being hired as an SNL writer, Alan Linic has co-wrote and appeared in two Second City e.t.c. shows, “Gaslight District” and “Fantastic Super Great Nation Numero Uno.” Prior to joining the e.t.c. company, he performed at the Kennedy Center as a part of The Second City and Slate collaboration “Unelectable You” and toured with The Second City Touring Company. He teaches, too! Alan taught writing, Improv for Actors and Second City Conservatory classes as a faculty member at The Second City Training Center.

In 2016, he and  Claire Linic released a workbook for couples called Our Perfect Marriage. Follow Alan on Twitter @AlanLinic.

ELI MANDEL

Eli Mandel - The Second City

Eli Mandel is a comedian, improviser and actor hailing from the small foothill community of O’Neals, CA, just outside Yosemite National Park. He studied theater at UC Santa Cruz before coming to Chicago, where he understudied for The Second City Touring Company and The Second City Mainstage. Now he's a writer for SNL. (He also voices “Rip Stipley” in the award-winning Improvised Star Trek Podcast.)

Tune in to the Season 44 premiere of SNL on September 29th, because you know Kanye's gonna do something real weird.