SNL’s Ashley Padilla Passes 100-Sketch Milestone in Record Time

First on LateNighter: Ashley Padilla has just reached a remarkable milestone, appearing in 100 sketches on Saturday Night Live—a rare achievement for a performer who joined the show as a featured player just over a year ago.

Padilla’s appearance in “Simon and Heather” was the one that put her over the top. It marked Padilla’s sixth sketch of the episode—a notable feat in and of itself. (Seventh if you count her voice work as Trish in “Brad and His Dad: Christmas.”)

Padilla, who became part of the SNL cast beginning with the show’s 50th season in September 2024, has quickly transformed from a relative unknown into one of the most visible and versatile performers in the current ensemble. Her journey to 100 sketches has accelerated over the first eight episodes of this season, jumping from 59 sketches at the end of last season’s 20 episodes.

Across her appearances, Padilla has shown a rare combination of grounded character work and bold physicality. Whether anchoring absurd premises like her now-viral “bad haircut” sketch—rooted in her own real-life misadventure with clippers—or carving out memorable roles in ensemble pieces, she’s become a go-to comic presence in Season 51.

Padilla’s rise has come amid significant shifts in the SNL cast, including the departures of long-tenured performers Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim and the arrival of five new featured players in September. In that changing landscape, her consistent presence has emerged as a defining thread in the season’s comedic tapestry.