Saturday Night Live’s Luke Null will not be returning for his second year on the long-running comedy show. Null became a cast member shortly before the start of Season 43 of the program, which aired in September of 2017. Chris Redd and Heidi Gardner were also brought on to the show alongside Null, and are still attached to the program.
Season 43 was a big one for the television staple, as they were still coming off of the ratings-high that was undoubtedly influenced by the presidential election of 2016. With the satirical programming focusing much of its efforts on impressions of the President and all those with whom he came in contact, eyes that had strayed away from the show were coaxed right back in to see their goofy take on the current events.
Null, who is currently 28 years old, was not new to comedy prior to his term at SNL, but instead had been a member of an improv troupe back in his hometown of Chicago. He performed at the iO theatre regularly, and specialized in musical comedy, a venture he continued to pursue while on the NBC program.
Unfortunately, however, Null was very rarely given a big part in the show’s sketches, causing him to fly under the radar and likely not allowing him to impress those in charge. Although his talent must have been far above others to have landed him the gig in the first place, his performance was not able to help him land a spot in the second season.
Many cast members have been let go of after just one season, most recently, Jon Rudnitsky, while many others have spent years on the program. A fellow cast member of Null’s, Kenan Thompson, will even be entering his fifteenth season at SNL this fall.
It has not yet been revealed as to exactly what transpired in Null’s departure, causing many to believe he was let go of by the program, as opposed to willfully quitting. He has not yet made a statement on any of his social media pages.
Season 44 is expected to return in either September or October of 2018.