Darrell Hammond to replace the late Don Pardo as ‘SNL’ announcer

Darrell Hammond will return to “Saturday Night Live” as the show’s announcer when it returns for a 40th season on Sept. 27, NBC announced Thursday.

The former cast member will replace Don Pardo, who had been the voice of “SNL” since it premiered in 1975 and died last month at 96.

During his 14 seasons on the storied sketch-comedy show, Hammond was known for spot-on impressions of figures including Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Sean Connery. Though it was not as well publicized, Hammond also stepped in for Pardo on occasion when the announcer was not well.

The longest-running cast member in “SNL” history, Hammond officially left in 2009 but has since made several return appearances.

Since departing the show, Hammond has written a memoir, “God, If You’re Not Up There, I’m …,” recounting his difficult childhood struggles with drugs and alcohol. He has also appeared in the legal drama “Damages” and the comedy “Are We There Yet?”