Ego Nwodim is the latest to leave the Saturday Night Live cast.
Nwodim made the announcement on Instagram, and rather than let fans guess what happened to cause her exit, she readily offered in her statement that it was her own decision.
“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight,“ she wrote to her Instagram Stories. ”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."
The upcoming Season 51 would have been her eighth.
The news comes after the show’s bloodbath firings prompted goodbyes to Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow, and eight-seasoner Heidi Gardner. Per New York Post, Gardner’s contract was not renewed, killing the wide assumption that she made the choice to leave on her own. Gardner has yet to comment on her own exit. Nwodim made the shock announcement just days after SNL boss Lorne Michaels confirmed that changes to the cast were complete.
Five new players were announced last week, including Veronika Slowikowska, Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and “Please Do Not Destroy” member Ben Marshall. Major stars including Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, Sarah Sherman, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman and more were confirmed to return alongside Nwodim before her announcement Friday.
Nwodim joined the show in 2018 as the only new cast member ahead of Season 44. She emerged as one of the show’s strongest sketch players with characters like “Lisa from Temecula.” Pedro Pascal hosted the episode where that character first appeared, and Nwodim’s performance, together with the host’s difficulty holding back his laughter, made the sketch one of SNL‘s most beloved in recent history.
It was just this past year that Nwodim’s turn as “Ms. Eggy” went viral, as audience members yelled impromptu expletives during her “Weekend Update” appearance.
“Cory Booker out here with his filibuster—shoot, I’ve had my fill of busters,” Nwodim joked in character, before asking the crowd, “These men ain’t what?” Some crowd members responded, “s--t” in response. The answer she had in mind was “worth a damn,” she revealed, but the surprising crowd answer was comedy gold.
Fellow cast member Bowen Yang later called the sketch his “favorite moment in televised history ever,” and many online users agreed.
She also played in politics, portraying conservative commentator Candace Owens on more than one occasion, as well as other Black women figures like former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Her appearances on the show as Dionne Warwick were so popular that Warwick herself praised the star’s impression and appeared alongside her on the show.
Only the eighth Black female cast member in SNL’s 50 year history, Nwodim’s exit means that once again the show will have no Black women performers for the first time in over a decade.
Nwodim’s been clear that she’s interested in the freedom to take on other gigs. She told Deadline in 2023 that SNL was a “dream come true,” but “I want my other dreams to come true. I want to be in films and I want to do more TV as well.”
The news is still a shock, particularly as fans just released a collective breath when cast changes were confirmed done and most of the show’s major stars seemed to be sticking around. Wrote Today host Jenna Bush Hager in reply to Nwodim’s announcement on Instagram, “What??? I will miss this!!!! But congrats!”
SNL alum Cecily Strong added, ”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. One of the best to ever do it.”
And original SNL cast member Laraine Newman summed up a lot of fans’ initial reactions by simply commenting, “Nooooooo😢😢😢😢.”
