Who left, who became a member and he stayed

August 30, 2025

1 2 minutes read

Who left, who became a member and he stayed

There is a commotion in Studio 8h, because a handful of cast members of “Saturday Night Live” have left the show prior to the 51st season.

The Exodus started on August 25 with the departure of Devon Walker, who wrote on Instagram that his time was on “SNL” sometimes “really cool” and “sometimes it was toxic like hell.” Then came announcements from Emil Walker, Michael Longfellow and Heidi Gardner, who left the NBC Sketch Comedy Show after eight seasons.

While some newer faces expressed sorrow about letting go of “SNL”, it is expected that some longer cast members can choose to leave only prior to the premiere of season 51 on October 4, while Showrunner Lorne Michaels releases the way for new additions.

Read below about all cast members who have left “SNL” before season 51. Come back here for updates about who leaves, becomes a member and stays in the Sketch Comedy series.

Heidi Gardner

Image Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC

Heidi Gardner leaves ‘Saturday Night Live’ after eight seasons. She was the longest current current female cast member and she appeared in most sketches in season 49. Gardner was known for her “weekend update” characters, including the teenage film critic Bailey Gismert and Angel, “Every Boxer’s Girlfriend from every movie ever.” She also appeared in the “Beavis and Butt-Head” sketch, in which she could not keep in her laughter famous when seeing Mikey Day and Ryan Gosling dressed as the cartoon characters.
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 was banned with Colin Jost on topics such as Real ID and conservative family members. Longfellow confirmed his exit on Instagram and wrote on August 28: “I will not return for a 4th season at SNL. I wish I was, but it is that way. It was the best three years of my life so far so far. I have made and seen them the most daily.”
Devon Walker

Image Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC

Devon Walker joined “SNL” in 2022 and leaves after three seasons. He became best known in the NBC Sketch Comedy series for his impressions by Mayor Eric Adams and Michael Strahan from New York City. “Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic like hell,” Walker wrote on Instagram. “But we did what we made the best of what it was, even in the midst of all dysfunction. We made a curled Lil family.”
Emil Wakim

Image Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC

Emil Wakim was released after a season on “SNL”. The newcomer of the season 50 was known for playing Luigi Mangione, as well as Mohammad bin Salman in a sketch next to 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 will not return to ‘SNL’ next year,” Wakim wrote on Instagram. “It was a bowel pot of a call to get, but I am so grateful for my time there.” He thanked executive producer Michaels and said that he was “enthusiastic for any chapter. Here is making more art without compromises.”