Deadline has reported that Michael Longfellow will be the next in a string of departures from Saturday Night Live. Both Devon Walker (Big Mouth, Everything’s Trash) and Emil Wakim (Busted, Hunters) have already announced that they will be leaving the show, and the trend is set to continue as Lorne Michaels (Coneheads, 30 Rock) restructures the cast ahead of Season 51.

According to Deadline, Longfellow was brought on to SNL in Season 48 as a featured player before eventually making his way to the main cast in Season 50.

Via Deadline, Longfellow’s departure came as a shock, as he was pegged as the next host of the Weekend Update after several successful appearances on its current iteration.  In his very first episode, he made a cameo on the popular segment.

Deadline has reported that earlier this year, he spoke about his current status at the variety show. “I work like 12 hours a week. When you love your job, it never feels like work. No, I’m just not in that much stuff this season. It’s fine, I walk around, they don’t really keep tabs on your whereabouts here,” he joked with head writer Collin Jost on the Weekend Update.

According to Deadline, the writer’s room is experiencing departures as Celeste Yim (Life & Beth, La Cultrista Culture Awards) and Rosebud Baker (Inside Jokes, Whiskey Fists) will also be leaving the show.  Recently, Longfellow has been touring as a stand-up and appeared in Good Burger 2. Saturday Night Live is produced by Broadway Video and SNL Studios. It is slated to return on October 4th. 

Deadline has reported that Longfellow took to Instagram to announce his departure. “Will not be returning for a 4th season at SNL. Wish I was but, so it goes. It was the best three years of my life so far. I feel nothing but gratitude for the experience and everyone there. Lorne, you gave me the greatest job in the world and changed my life. You even put my mom on TV. Thank you doesn’t begin to cover it, but thank you,” he continued. “I’ll miss it all, but I’ll miss the friends I made and seeing them every day the most.”

Via Deadline, “Excited for the future and things to come. If you take anything away from my time on SNL let it be that smoking you makes you skinny and popular, Jesus was Chinese, and if a tortoise ever gives you trouble just kill him tough guy. You won’t,” he stated.