cast by season

Jay Pharoah is returning to Studio 8H for his third season on "SNL." Pharoah is most known for his wide array of uncanny celebrity impressions including Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, Denzel Washington, and Kanye West, as well as for his recurring character, school principal Daniel Frye.

Pharoah developed his comedy skills at a young age, training in local comedy clubs. He went on to tour in the UK, the US, and Montreal, and participated in the sketch comedy series, "Charlie Murphy's Crash Comedy." Pharoah previously performed stand-up on BET's "One Mic Stand" and was the star of the 2010 BET Awards short, "The Package." He was recently seen alongside Greta Gerwig, Bill Pullman, and Debra Winger in Fox Searchlight's 2012 feature "Lola Versus." This spring, he'll be starring alongside Miles Teller, Anna Kendrick, Brandon T. Jackson, and Alison Brie in the CBS feature, "Get a Job."

Originally from Virginia, Pharoah currently resides in New York City. His birthday is October 14.