The cast of “Saturday Night Live” is changing dramatically ahead of season 48. Following Pete Davidson’s departure from the long-running comedy show, three of his casemates also left in the season 47 finale. Throughout the program, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney addressed their goodbyes to Studio 8H, which was hosted by “Russian Doll” actress Natasha Lyonne.
The creator of Saturday Night Live, Lorne Michaels, said that Season 48 will be “a year of reinvention” and that the epidemic is to blame for the high cast member turnover that saw eight comedians leave the show before the new season, which premieres in October.
The epidemic produced a situation in which “no one could actually leave because there were no jobs,” but the enormous cast “came to a point where we had many people, and some weren’t getting enough playing time,” according to Michaels.
Michaels claimed the program is harsher on Republican politicians than it is on Democratic politicians and said the previous four years on SNL depicted a period “between the epidemic and the presidency” when “people were legitimately terrified.”
While four new featured actors have been recruited to the ensemble, other veterans will remain, including Colin Jost and Michael Che, as anchors of the segment “Weekend Update,” according to Michaels.
All four actors had been on the program for at least eight seasons. That’s a tremendous accomplishment, especially considering how much work they’ve each done outside of “SNL” throughout their tenure as cast members. Davidson, who started the series as a 20-year-old in 2014, is now an established movie star owing to films such as “The King of Staten Island” and “Suicide Squad.” Meanwhile, Bryant co-created and acted in Hulu’s “Shrill,” and McKinnon has featured in films such as “The Spy Who Dumped Me,” the reboot of “Ghostbusters,” and “Bombshell.”
Due to other commitments, the actors have had to sit out episodes as their careers have become increasingly hectic in recent years. As a result, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’ve moved on. But they aren’t the only ones leaving “SNL.”
The Hollywood Reporter reported on September 1 that regulars Alex Moffat and Melissa Villaseor, as well as featured player Aristotle Athari, have left the program. While they will be missed, the “SNL” cast has expanded significantly in recent years. Weeks later, on September 19, it was reported that Chris Redd would join those who were not cast in season 48. Currently, only 18 regular cast members from Season 47 remain, including Kenan Thompson, who has been a part of the show since its beginning.
Check out all the actors that are leaving “SNL” ahead of season 48 below.
Michaels, 77, claimed he had “no plans to retire” and that the program would celebrate its 50th season with a large party. Bryant resigned after ten years, joining a slew of other cast members who left the program at the end of last season. Along with Bryant, Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Kyle Mooney, Aristotle Athari, Alex Moffat, Chris Redd, and Melissa Villaseor have all left the show.
Dang. Is There Anyone Left?
“Saturday Night Live,” originally a revolutionary notion that has evolved into a sometimes-tired, sometimes-inspired institution, will look quite different this season. Bryant and the others will be missed, but there will be plenty of other opportunities to laugh. And, as usual, there’s much to be unhappy about. It’s a national sport.
The new season will begin at 8:29 p.m. Saturday, Arizona time, on NBC (Channel 12, metro Phoenix). The host is Miles Teller, and the musical guest is Kendrick Lamar.
Why Did Aidy Bryant Leave Saturday Night Live?
Season 48 will be a period of transformation. McKinnon received a lot of praise for her outstanding performance on the show. Mooney was a particular favorite, always up for a strange skit; see his film “Brigsby Bear” to see his eccentric views in full bloom. Redd made me laugh every time he appeared, which wasn’t often enough.
Bryant, on the other hand, was an underappreciated powerhouse (and her skills for greater things were validated with her series “Shrill”). She was the unknown weapon. She decided that ten years was enough and left. However, there will be an Arizona link. Michael Longfellow, a new featured player, came from Phoenix and attended Arizona State University before graduating in 2016. He is one of four newly highlighted players that have been hired.
Though the departure of eight cast members is unprecedented since a shake-up like this hasn’t occurred since 1995, Lorne admitted that having two dozen performers was challenging. Furthermore, he wants those who want to be there to fill the places. But he recognizes the need to continue to grow as a comic.
Watching Saturday Night Live Only To Vent About It
If “SNL” were a basketball team, everyone would refer to this as a rebuilding year, which you say when you predict disaster but have a glimmer of optimism that things will not be as bad as you think.
Lorne teased that at least “four new folks” would be joining the SNL cast, and he confirmed that they would appear in the new season premiere – Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker. Despite his optimism, he anticipates some difficulties. “This will be a year of transformation.” “Change years are always challenging but exhilarating,” he told Deadline.
After all, this is true every year, even when a large portion of the cast does not leave or is dismissed. Let’s face it: part of why people watch “SNL” is to gripe about how bad it used to be. It frequently is, but what’s the joy in that?