Cast departures are a constant in Saturday Night Live's life cycle.
Every year, during the lead-up to a new season, SNL gets a shake-up as current cast members and writers leave the show. The lead-up to Season 51, premiering Oct. 4, is no different. As of Sept. 12, five cast members are confirmed to be exiting the show.
Here are the actors leaving SNL before Season 51.
Heidi Gardner
In her eight seasons on SNL, Heidi Gardner cemented herself as a key cast member. She could do it all, crafting memorable Weekend Update characters like teen film critic Bailey Gismert and "every boxer's girlfriend" Angel and stealing the show in sketches and digital shorts. Her role as Michael Jordan's bodyguard in a parody of The Last Dance documentary is one for the ages.
Throughout her time on the show, Gardner almost never broke character. However, in her penultimate season, she finally broke when greeted with Mikey Day and Ryan Gosling as Beavis and Butt-Head, a moment that soon became a Season 49 highlight.
While it's tough to lose a cast member as reliable as Gardner, Gardner herself hinted at her exit in February when she guested on Craig Ferguson's podcast Joy. "I will say the only thing that I’ve started to feel a little bit is just sketch fatigue, or idea fatigue,” she told Ferguson. “At this point, after doing Groundlings and SNL for so long, I’m like, 'I’ve written a lot of sketches.'"
Ego Nwodim
Ego Nwodim became a comedic force to be reckoned with in her seven-season stint on SNL. Her Lisa from Temecula character was an instant classic from the moment she started cutting into her well-done steak, and her stand-up alter ego "Miss Eggy" became a viral sensation thanks to her her call-and-response with SNL's live audience.
In an Instagram post about her exit in September, Nwodim confirmed it was her choice to leave the show, writing, "The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight. But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL. I am immensely grateful to Lorne for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support, and friendship. Week after week on that stage taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and I will carry those memories (and that laughter) with me always."
Michael Longfellow
Michael Longfellow joined SNL in Season 48, bringing his deadpan comedic stylings to a variety of sketches, but most notably to his Weekend Update segments. In his very first episode, he popped by the Weekend Update desk to crack jokes about conservative family members. Throughout his tenure, he'd return for memorable segments about everything from the TikTok ban to being a child of divorce.
In an August Instagram post announcing his departure from SNL, Longfellow wrote, "Will not be returning for a 4th season at SNL. Wish I was, but so it goes. It was the best three years of my life so far. I feel nothing but gratitude for the experience and everyone there. Lorne, you gave me the greatest job in the world and changed my life. You even put my mom on TV. Thank you doesn't begin to cover it, but thank you."
Devon Walker
Like Longfellow, Devon Walker became an SNL cast member in Season 48. He impersonated everyone from New York City Mayor Eric Adams to Michael Strahan, and he, along with fellow cast member James Austin Johnson, also gifted us with the ridiculous lactose-intolerant rappers Milly Pounds and Shirty.
Walker announced his exit on Instagram in August, writing, "me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell."
In an interview with Rolling Stone about his departure, Walker added, "I think I felt ready to leave the show, and I think the show felt ready to leave me. I was just ready to do something else. We both felt like it was time."
Emil Wakim
Emil Wakim joined SNL as a featured cast member in Season 50, where he played figures like Julius Caesar, Mohammad bin Salman, and Luigi Mangione (as well as a Luigi Mangione look-alike getting "some of the horniest DMs of my life"). Wakim also made an impact on Weekend Update, where he appeared to discuss American patriotism and the 2024 election.
In an Instagram post in August about his exit from SNL, Wakim wrote, "I won’t be returning to SNL next year. It was a gut punch of a call to get, but I’m so grateful for my time there. I was at Six Flags celebrating my friend's 36th birthday and went on a really emotional walk through Bugs Bunny Park. I stared out across Daffy Duck Lake, thinking about life."
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