Cast shakeups between seasons are common for “Saturday Night Live,” but it’s still bittersweet when departures are announced.
Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow, and Heidi Gardner are all leaving the “SNL” cast ahead of season 51. Walker and Longfellow were both on the show for three seasons, while Wakim joined for season 50 last year. Gardner had the longest “SNL” tenure of the four, with eight seasons under her belt.
In an Instagram post, Wakim said it was “a gut punch” getting the call that he hadn’t been asked back for season 51. Longfellow also posted a statement noting that he wishes he was returning to “SNL.” Walker, meanwhile, called the departure “good news” for his career.
Gardner has yet to address her exit. It’s unclear whether she chose to leave, but it’s common for “SNL” stars who’ve been on the show for as long as she was to voluntarily move on. She’s recently done more acting, including playing Grace in the Apple TV+ series “Shrinking.”
As of this writing, the rest of the “SNL” season 50 cast seems to be returning for season 51. That means Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Marcello Hernández, James Austin Johnson, Colin Jost, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, Ashley Padilla, and Jane Wickline will soon be back on our screens.
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There are also five new cast members joining for season 51 of “SNL:” Veronika Slowikowska, Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Ben Marshall.
Marshall previously appeared on the show as a member of Please Don’t Destroy, which has been producing digital shorts for “SNL” since 2021. The comedy group will not be making videos for season 51. Marshall has been promoted to a cast member, Martin Herlihy will stay on as a writer, and John Higgins is leaving “SNL” to pursue other opportunities.
“Thank you to everyone who made my time there so special, it made this decision that much harder,” Higgins wrote via Instagram.
Season 51 of “Saturday Night Live” premieres on NBC on Saturday, October 4. Past episodes are available to stream on Peacock.
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