Cleveland Native Joins Cast Of Saturday Night Live

Special to the Director's Cut Blog
By Jennifer Lindgren, WKYC Reporter

PEPPER PIKE -- A 2000 graduate of Orange High School is the newest cast member on the long-running live comedy show.

Vanessa Bayer, 28, is one of three new featured players to join the cast of the long-running comedy sketch show when it debuts on NBC Sept, 25.

Bayer, a Moreland Hills native, graduated in 2000 from Orange High School. In her four years at Orange, Bayer was elected to homecoming court, ran cross country, and was voted by her peers 'Most Likely to Succeed.'

Those who knew Bayer say no one would have guessed she'd choose stand-up comedy as a career.

"Everyone was really surprised!" said Gail Price, a history teacher at OHS.

Yet even a decade later, her teachers and coaches recall Bayer's smart sense of humor.

"The one thing she had a talent for, she could imitate people. We would ask her to imitate other teachers and, oh my gosh, was it funny. She could imitate anyone," said Bayer's assistant cross country coach Eric Oberster.

Bayer was also an honor student, who no one doubted would one day be successful.

"A wonderful person who knew what she wanted to do," said coach Jon Keller.

A 2004 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Bayer moved to Chicago where she dove into stand-up and improv comedy.

She was a member of the iO Chicago theater outlet, that counts Tina Fey, Mike Meyers, Chris Farley, Amy Poehler and other SNL veterans as alumni.

Bayer has moved to New York City since joining Saturday Night Live.

The show's producers say Bayer isn't able to do interviews until after the premiere.

Vanessa's mother, Carolyn Bayer, told Channel 3 she and her husband are beyond excited and proud. They can't say the extent to which Vanessa will appear in the premiere, but said their daughter has been rehearsing this week with the rest of the cast.

"I think it's fantastic that in a decade she has gone from a high school class room to Saturday Night Live. I'm going to be taking a nap so I can stay up that late to watch her!" said English teacher Nancy Brunswick.

NBC's Saturday Night Live's 36th season debuts Sept. 25 at 11:30 p.m. on WKYC TV 3.

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