Ego Nwodim’s Decision to Leave SNL Met with Support from Former Co-Stars
She’s in good company. Ego Nwodim, 37, was met with support from her former “Saturday Night Live” co-stars after announcing her decision to depart the sketch comedy after seven years and ahead of Season 51 on Friday.
Cecily Strong, who was on “SNL” from 2011 to 2022 and worked with Nwodim for five seasons, was one of the first to react to the surprising news.
Reactions from Former Co-Stars
“I just texted you but I also want to say it loud and proud here: it was an honor and total joy to get to work with you,” Strong, 41, wrote in the comments section of Nwodim’s Instagram announcement post. “One of the best to ever do it.” Chloe Fineman, who joined “SNL” in 2019 and has confirmed her return when Season 51 kicks off on Oct. 4, shared a similar sentiment. “One of the best to ever do it my friend,” she wrote with a goat emoji. “GOAT.”
Punkie Johnson, meanwhile, welcomed Nwodim to the “outside” and the long list of “SNL” stars who have left the show across its 50-year run. “YOU DID YOUR DUTY EZ…. WELCOME BACK TO OUTSIDE…. WE HAVIN A TIME,” Johnson, who was on from 2020 to 2024, wrote. “LETS PLAY.”
Other Reactions and Departures
“Baby baby baby! You’re a star and made your mark HUGE,” Molly Kearney, who made her exit after two seasons in 2024, added. “And it is very fun out here! Welcome!” However, Nwodim’s former colleagues weren’t the only ones to weigh in on her departure from the Lorne Michaels-created sketch program, because some “SNL” alums with whom the comedian never overlapped shared their support as well. “Congratulations on a fantastic run!!” wrote Ana Gasteyer, who worked on the show for six seasons from 1996 to 2002. “Excited for what’s next.”
Nwodim, who joined during Season 44 in 2018, announced her decision to leave “SNL” in an emotional Instagram post shared on Friday, Sept. 12. “The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight,” she began. “But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL.”
Nwodim is just the latest “SNL” cast member to leave the show ahead of Season 51 next month, although her exit appeared to be voluntary. Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow and Heidi Gardner all departed shortly after Michaels, 80, teased a cast shakeup before the new season. Walker, 34, was the first to announce his exit after three seasons on the show.
Cast Changes and Future Seasons
“Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool,” he shared on Instagram. “Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a f – – ked up lil family.” Wakim and Longfellow soon followed suit. “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,” Wakim, 27, announced in a post of his own.
As for Gardner, The Post confirmed her exit after eight seasons on Aug. 28. Although she has not addressed her departure, an insider claimed her contract with “SNL” was not renewed. “It’s time for a new cast,” the source shared earlier this month. Bowen Yang, who will return to Studio 8H on Oct. 4 for Season 51, was the first to address Gardner’s exit during an episode of his “Las Culturistas” podcast released Wednesday, Sept. 10.
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Image Source: nypost.com
