Look for some South Philly on "Saturday Night Live" this season.

"Growing up, I had a lot of cousins there," says new "SNL" cast
member Cheri Oteri, a native of Upper Darby, Pa., just west of
Philadelphia. "I loved South Philly characters. They're beautiful to
me. Everybody's so open with their love and anger."

There's been a lot more anger than love for "SNL" lately, which is
why executive producer Lorne Michaels overhauled the once-cutting-edge
show. Oteri will be one of six new faces when "SNL" launches its 21st
season Saturday.

Most recently, Oteri was a member of the Groundlings, the L.A.-based
comedy troupe that produced such former "SNL" stars as Phil Hartman, Jon
Lovitz, and Laraine Newman. Oteri's best friend there was Mike Sweeney,
brother of Julia Sweeney, best known as gender-generic Pat.

Mike, who worked in the ticket office, died of cancer in March.

(Julia has cervical cancer; she's in remission.) Oteri wears his
wristwatch. "Mike became my agent in heaven," she says. "He got me
SNL. He always told me I'd make it."

After graduating from high school, she won't say when, Oteri did a
variety of office jobs around Philadelphia, hating them all. Her friends
had become dental hygienists, waitresses, teachers.

"One day, I just started crying on the corner," she recalls. "I
thought, God, there has to be more to life than this. I realized I had
a strong need to be creative, and that need had to be fulfilled."

Looking to break into the music industry, Oteri moved to Los Angeles
in 1989 and joined A&M Records, working her way up to promotions
coordinator. Along the way, her friends bugged the funny mimic to try
out for the Groundlings. By 1993 she had to choose between careers. She
chose comedy.

"I was so afraid. I had always worked a regular job, with medical
benefits. I was very responsible, supporting myself. But I knew this was
supposed to be. The voice inside me got louder and louder. It made me
realize this is what God meant for me."

Oteri's forte is creating her own characters. One of her favorites:
The Italian Lady on the Porch. You know the one, she sits on her porch
in a housecoat and yells at the kids playing ball in the street.

For her "SNL" audition, however, Oteri did an impersonation of Lisa
Marie Presley, playing her as a female Elvis. "It came to me at the last
minute. After the Michael Jackson interview on ABC's "PrimeTime Live",
she became a real character. She was so much fun to goof on."

Despite its creative downturn over the past few years, "SNL" "is my
dream," Oteri says. "It's such an institution. As a kid, the show was
larger than life. Gilda Radner was my all-time favorite. To me, the show
was the epitome of comedy."

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