Three More Cast Members Are Leaving 'SNL' Ahead of Season 48
Sep. 2 2022, Updated 10:49 a.m. ET
One of the best parts of Saturday Night Live is the ever-revolving rotation of comedians who walk through the doors of 30 Rockefeller Plaza's Studio 8H. Many SNL alumni have become stars in their own right, such as Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Bill Hader, Tina Fey, and more. Although the late-night program was always meant to be a jumping-off point for comedic actors, it doesn't hurt any less when actors exit the show.
In May 2022, Deadline announced that four cast members are leaving SNL in 2022. Now, three more people are departing from the show ahead of Season 48. So who all is leaving the show? Here's everything we know so far.
Who is leaving 'SNL' in 2022?
In an announcement from Deadline on May 20, 2022, long-term stars Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, Kyle Mooney, and Pete Davidson will exit the show following the season 47 finale on May 21. Season 47 has been record-breaking for many reasons, one of which includes the largest-ever SNL cast with twenty-one members. Eight cast members have been staples on the show for at least eight seasons.
Previously, SNL creator Lorne Michaels admitted that 2022 might be a "year for change" for SNL. Currently, the remaining long-term cast members, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Cecily Strong, and Kenan Thompson, have not announced intentions to exit the show.
Pete Davidson has starred on SNL since 2014 and is one of the youngest cast members on the show. During his time with SNL, he wrote and starred in the film The King of Staten Island and developed a TV show based on his life called Bupkis, which will air on Peacock. Bupkis is also executive produced by Lorne Michaels. Davidson has been largely absent from the show during Season 47 to film a horror comedy called The Home.
Kate McKinnon is widely regarded as one of the show's breakout stars and has starred on SNL since 2012. During her time on SNL, Kate was also in films such as Ghostbusters, Yesterday, Bombshell, and The Spy Who Dumped Me. She was recently absent filming Peacock's Tiger King-inspired series Joe Vs. Carole.
Aidy Bryant has also starred on SNL since 2012, and like Kate, she became a series regular in 2013. Aidy is best known for her impressions, which include characters like Ted Cruz and Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Since 2019, she has also starred in the Lorne Michaels-produced show Shrill for Hulu, which recently ended in 2021.
Kyle Mooney has been with SNL since 2013. Throughout his time on the show, he has also made appearances on TV, such as Arrested Development revival and various animated projects such as Rick and Morty and Star vs. the Forces of Evil.
Three more cast members and a producer are leaving 'SNL.'
On Sept. 1, 2022, SNL fans learned of three more people departing the comedy sketch series. Melissa Villaseñor and Alex Moffat — who have been with the show since 2016 — and Aristotle Athiras, who was brought on in Season 47, will not be returning, Forbes reported.
Additionally, producer Lindsay Shookus announced in late August that she was exiting after 20 years.
Although it's sad to see so many powerful players go, fans are still looking forward to Season 48 of SNL, which does not yet have a premiere date. We'll keep you updated once it's announced!
