Michael Longfellow has exited “Saturday Night Live” after three seasons.
The news comes after the departure of cast members Devon Walker and Emil Wakim, as well as writers Celeste Yim and Rosebud Baker, ahead of Season 51.
NBC could not immediately be reached for comment.
Confirming his exit on Instagram, Longfellow wrote on Aug. 28, “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. I’ll miss it all, but I’ll miss the friends I made and seeing them everyday the most.”
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Longfellow’s departure comes as a bit of a surprise, as reported he was screen-tested as a “Weekend Update” host in May.
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Longfellow joined “SNL” in Season 48 as a featured player and made his mark with memorable “Weekend Update” segments, in which he played a sardonic version of himself, joking about topics like Real ID and TikTok. Outside of the NBC sketch comedy series, he appeared in “Good Burger 2” and is a touring stand-up comic.
Walker announced his exit on Instagram on Aug. 25, writing, “Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a fucked up lil family.”
“I won’t be returning to SNL next year. It was a gut punch of a call to get but I’m so grateful for my time there,” Wakim wrote in his announcement. “Every time I scanned into the building I would think how insane it is to get to work there. It was the most terrifying, thrilling, and rewarding experience of my life and I will miss it dearly and all the brilliant people that work there that made it feel like a home.”
“Saturday Night Live” returns on NBC on Oct. 4 with the premiere of Season 51. The new season comes off the heels of a landmark 50th anniversary, which was feted with with several documentaries, a Radio City Music Hall concert special and a three-hour telecast with “SNL” legends.
Deadline broke the news.
