According to The Hollywood Reporter, NBC’s Saturday Night Live has had a string of cast members leaving the series, with Ego Nwodim (Poker Face, Galactic War Room) announcing that she will step down from the show before its 51st season.
“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight,” Nwodim writes in the Instagram post via The Hollywood Reporter. “But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL. I am immensely grateful to Lorne for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support and friendship. Week after week on that stage taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and I will carry those memories (and that laughter) with me always. Now invite me to your weddings please!!!”
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Nwodim is the fifth member of the SNL cast to announce his departure between seasons. Other cast members who have stepped down include, Michael Longfellow (How to Be Broke, Ghost of Ruin), Devon Walker (Everything’s Trash, Big Mouth), Heidi Gardner (Yes We Cannabis, Life of the Party), Michael Longfellow (How to Be Broke, Ghost of Ruin) and Emil Wakim (Black Market with Michael K. Williams, Busted!). The Please Don’t Destroy trio also won’t appear onscreen together after writer and sometime performer John Higgins (Ghostbusters, A Man Called Otto) left the series; Ben Marshall (The Best Man’s Ghostwriter, Personal Business) moved out of the writers’ room to become a featured player along with Kam Patterson (Bushboys, Nighthawks), Jeremy Culhane (Make Some Noise, Heathers), Veronika Slowikowska (Mayonnaise, Guardian Angel) and Tommy Brennan (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), while the third member of the group, Martin Herlihy (Happy Gilmore 2, Hubie Halloween), will be staying on as a writer.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nwodim has been with Saturday Night Live since 2018 and was promoted to the main cast two years later. on Monday, Nwodim’s name was included in list of cast members returning for the upcoming season alongside, Mikey Day (Is It Cake?, Little), “Weekend Update” anchors Michael Che (War, That Damn Michael Che, Top Five), Kenan Thompson (All That, Kenan & Kel), Chloe Fineman (Summer of 69, Megalopolis) Bowen Yang (The Weeding Banquet, Wicked) and Colin Jost (Fly Me to the Moon, Tom & Jerry), Andrew Dismukes (Call Me Brother, The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy), Marcello Hernandez (Dying for Sex, The Improviser), Sarah Sherman (Three Busy Debras, Flayaway), Ashley Padilla (Curb Your Enthusiam, Night Court), James Austin Johnson (A Complete Unknown, Inside Out 2) and Jane Wickline (My First Film, Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out).