<\/p>\n
Cast shakeups between seasons are common for \u201cSaturday Night Live,\u201d but it\u2019s still bittersweet when departures are announced. <\/p>\n
Devon Walker<\/b>, Emil Wakim<\/b>, Michael Longfellow<\/b>, and Heidi Gardner <\/b>are all leaving the \u201cSNL\u201d 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 \u201cSNL\u201d tenure<\/a> of the four, with eight seasons under her belt. <\/p>\n In an Instagram post<\/a>, Wakim said it was \u201ca gut punch\u201d getting the call that he hadn\u2019t been asked back for season 51. Longfellow also posted a statement <\/a>noting that he wishes he was returning to \u201cSNL.\u201d Walker, meanwhile, called the departure \u201cgood news\u201d for his career<\/a>. <\/p>\n Gardner has yet to address her exit. It\u2019s unclear whether she chose to leave, but it\u2019s common for \u201cSNL\u201d stars who\u2019ve been on the show for as long as she was to voluntarily move on. She\u2019s recently done more acting, including playing Grace in the Apple TV+ series \u201cShrinking.\u201d <\/p>\n As of this writing, the rest of the \u201cSNL\u201d season 50 cast seems to be returning for season 51. That means Michael Che<\/b><\/a>, Mikey Day<\/b>, Andrew Dismukes<\/b>, Chloe Fineman<\/b>, Marcello Hern\u00e1ndez<\/b>, James Austin Johnson<\/b>, Colin Jost<\/b>, Ego Nwodim<\/b>, Sarah Sherman<\/b>, Kenan Thompson<\/b>, Bowen Yang<\/b>, Ashley Padilla<\/b>, and Jane Wickline <\/b>will soon be back on our screens.<\/p>\n READ MORE: <\/b>12 famous actors who got fired from \u2018SNL\u2019<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n There are also five new cast members<\/a> joining for season 51 of \u201cSNL:\u201d Veronika Slowikowska<\/b>, Tommy Brennan<\/b>, Jeremy Culhane<\/b>, Kam Patterson<\/b>, and Ben Marshall<\/b>. <\/p>\n Marshall previously appeared on the show as a member of Please Don\u2019t Destroy, which has been producing digital shorts for \u201cSNL\u201d 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 \u201cSNL\u201d to pursue other opportunities.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you to everyone who made my time there so special, it made this decision that much harder,\u201d Higgins wrote via Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Season 51 of \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d premieres on NBC on Saturday, October 4. Past episodes are <\/b><\/i>available to stream on Peacock<\/b><\/i><\/a>.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to <\/i>NJ.com<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n Have a tip? Tell us at <\/i>nj.com\/tips\/<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n