‘Saturday Night Live’: Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney to Exit
It looks like Pete Davidson isn’t the only one leaving Saturday Night Live tonight. Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney are all reportedly leaving SNL following the Season 47 finale, airing Saturday, May 21, on NBC, hosted by Natasha Lyonne.
The exiting actors will stage a big group goodbye at the end of the episode, according to Deadline. McKinnon, Bryant, Mooney, and Davidson have all been on SNL for eight or more seasons. But they’ve appeared less and less in recent years. The SNL cast is currently the biggest its ever been at 21, which gave room for long-standing cast members to temporarily leave the sketch comedy series to pursue different projects.
McKinnon opened Selena Gomez‘s episode on May 14, appearing as MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace. Mooney played Johnny Depp in the sketch, and Bryant played a lawyer questioning him. Much of Davidson’s Season 47 appearances have been pre-taped digital shorts, the most recent being the “Short-Ass Movie” video featuring Gunna, Simon Rex, and co-star Chris Redd.
Beck Bennett was the only major exit from SNL Season 46, along with supporting cast member Lauren Holt.
McKinnon and Bryant’s absences over the last couple of seasons have been due to filming schedules. Bryant stars in Hulu‘s Shrill, and McKinnon took a break from Season 47 to play Carole Baskin in Peacock‘s Joe vs. Carole alongside John Cameron Mitchell. Davidson is currently developing a Peacock comedy series called Bupkis, which he’ll star in with Edie Falco. Lorne Michaels will executive produce, as he does with most of the shows SNL actors work on outside of the sketch comedy staple.
McKinnon and Bryant both joined SNL in 2012 and were bumped to series regulars in 2013. Some of their most memorable characters include Hillary Clinton, Justin Bieber, Ellen DeGeneres, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Ted Cruz, and they’ve created a slew of hilarious characters as a duo.
Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC
Davidson’s digital shorts have been a highlight of his tenure (the Chad videos, especially), as well as his Weekend Update appearances as himself. And Mooney’s hilariously awkward comedy style has made for some of SNL‘s best cringeworthy sketches. He joined in 2013, and Davidson joined in 2014.
Other cast members on SNL for more than eight seasons include Kenan Thompson (the show’s longest-running cast member), Cecily Strong (who joined the show with McKinnon and Bryant in 2012), Michael Che, and Colin Jost. In 2016, McKinnon was the first SNL cast member in history to win an Emmy in the comedy supporting acting category.
Saturday Night Live, Season 47, Saturdays, 11:30/10:30c, NBC
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Happy for these changes at SNL.
Kate McKinnon has been the designated SNL superstar for so long we can be forgiven for forgetting why they elevated her to into the position all those years ago. Good luck to her and now some of the other talented cast members can be featured more. Pretty sure we’ll see Kate again in some of those returning-legend cameos, maybe even hosting.
Aidy was more versatile, a wonderful utility player. Unfortunately this led to her also being overused and she probably won’t be missed much in the short term. The long term depends on who steps up into her many sketch slots every week-hopefully several cast members. Good luck to Aidy and thanks for all the laughs.
Kyle was a competent regular player who probably got an extra season or two because of Covid. The annoying Mikey Day remains, possibly because the male side of the SNL bench has seemed weak since the departure of Everyman extraordinaire Beck Bennett last year.
Pete Davidson is a star and not an overused one. He’s barely been on live this season so he can’t really be missed in that way. The clever music videos will be. I’d wish him luck but I don’t think he needs it.
I’m excited to see other SNL cast members get more airtime, both seasoned ones like Heidi, Chloe and Ego and shining stars in waiting like Sarah Sherman (who could be the next Kate). I hope Cecily Strong never leaves.
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A fond farewell to Kate, Aidy, Kyle, and even Pete!
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Hello
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C
Political Stooges are never funny .... Don't let the screen door hit you on your way OUT!
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I guess I don’t really care. I never watch SNL.
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Nothing but political garbage the last 10 years.
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Is this who I think it is? AS
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I hope you realize these posts get reported right away, and removed.
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