Darrell Hammond, the longest-serving cast member in Saturday Night Live history, is returning to be the voice of the show.
Hammond will take over as the show’s announcer after Don Pardo, the host for all 39 seasons of SNL, died in August at age 96. The show’s 40th season begins Sept. 27.
SNL’s Weekend Update segment confirmed the move—first reported by the New York Times and USA Today—in a tweet:
Hammond, the master of impressions, was a cast member from 1995 until 2009. As host, he won’t be expected to replicate Pardo’s announcer voice, Executive Producer Lorne Michaels told the Times.
“He had the greatest run and he’s a completely beloved figure. So I thought: Don’t turn this into something else. That period ended,” he said. “I think it will be good to have Darrell doing his own separate thing.”
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Putin’s Enemies Are Struggling to Unite
- Women Say They Were Pressured Into Long-Term Birth Control
- What Student Photojournalists Saw at the Campus Protests
- Scientists Are Finding Out Just How Toxic Your Stuff Is
- Boredom Makes Us Human
- John Mulaney Has What Late Night Needs
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Noah Rayman at noah.rayman@time.com