There’s a shakeup at Studio 8H, as a handful of “Saturday Night Live” cast members have left the show ahead of its 51st season.
The exodus began on Aug. 25 with the departure of Devon Walker, who wrote on Instagram that sometimes his time on “SNL” was “really cool” and “sometimes it was toxic as hell.” Then came announcements from Emil Walker, Michael Longfellow and Heidi Gardner, who exited the NBC sketch comedy show after eight seasons.
While some newer faces expressed sorrow over being let go from “SNL,” it’s expected that some longer-tenured cast members may choose to leave on their own ahead of the Oct. 4 premiere of Season 51, as showrunner Lorne Michaels paves the way for new additions.
Below, read about all the cast members who have left “SNL” ahead of Season 51. Check back here for updates on who is leaving, joining and staying on the sketch comedy series.
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Heidi Gardner
Image Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC Heidi Gardner is leaving “Saturday Night Live” after eight seasons. She was the longest-tenured current female cast member, and she appeared in the most sketches in Season 49. Gardner was well-known for her “Weekend Update” characters including the teen movie critic Bailey Gismert and Angel, “every boxer’s girlfriend from every movie about boxing ever.” She also appeared in the “Beavis and Butt-Head” sketch, in which she famously could not hold in her laughter at the sight of Mikey Day and Ryan Gosling dressed as the cartoon characters.
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Michael Longfellow
Image Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC Michael Longfellow joined “SNL” in Season 48 and became known for his sardonic segments on “Weekend Update,” where he bantered with Colin Jost about topics like Real ID and having conservative family members. Confirming his exit on Instagram, Longfellow wrote on Aug. 28, “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. I’ll miss it all, but I’ll miss the friends I made and seeing them everyday the most.”
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Devon Walker
Image Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC Devon Walker joined “SNL” in 2022 and departs after three seasons. He became best-known on the NBC sketch comedy series for his impressions of New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Michael Strahan. “Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell,” Walker wrote on Instagram. “But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a fucked up lil family.”
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Emil Wakim
Image Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC Emil Wakim was let go after one season on “SNL.” The Season 50 newcomer was known for playing Luigi Mangione, as well as Mohammad bin Salman in a sketch alongside James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump. Wakim made his “Weekend Update” debut talking about his Christian Arab heritage and the misconceptions that people have about him. “I won’t be returning to ‘SNL’ next year,” Wakim wrote on Instagram. “It was a gut punch of a call to get, but I’m so grateful for my time there.” He thanked executive producer Michaels and said he was “excited for whatever chapter comes next. Here’s to making more art without compromise.”
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