NEED TO KNOW
Michael Longfellow is leaving SNL after three years ahead of season 51
He is joining Devon Walker and Emil Wakim, who also announced their exits earlier this week
This comes after creator Lorne Michaels revealed that there would be switch-ups with the cast after prioritizing the milestone 50th season last year
Michael Longfellow is departing Saturday Night Live.
On Thursday, Aug. 28, PEOPLE confirmed that the 31-year-old will not be returning to the iconic sketch-comedy show for season 51.
Deadline was the first to report the news.
Longfellow began his three-year run as a featured player in seasons 48 and 49 before becoming a main cast member for season 50.
He was most loved for his many appearances on the “Weekend Update” segment. Last season, he even poked fun about his importance on the series while sitting behind the desk.
“I work like 12 hours a week,” he joked. “When you love your job, it never feels like work. No, I’m just not in that much stuff this season. It’s fine, I walk around, they don’t really keep tabs on your whereabouts here.”
Roy Rochlin/Getty
News of the comedian’s exit comes days after Devon Walker, who joined the long-running series at the same time as Longfellow, announced his exit.
He shared the news in an Instagram post on Aug. 25 with a carousel of images from his time on the show.
“me and baby broke up ❤️,” the caption read.
Walker, 34, further reflected on his SNL journey in a photo of a note he wrote on his computer titled: “wait..did he quit or did he get fired?”
“To me, jobs in this industry feel like a bunch of little marriages,” he wrote. “Some of em last for a long time if we’re lucky, but most of them are fleeting. Permanent until they’re not. That’s the deal. You know what it is it when you sign up.”
“Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell,” he admitted. “But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a f—– up lil family.”
Newcomer Emil Wakim also shared that he wouldn’t be coming back ahead of season 50 in a heartfelt post on Aug. 27.
Wakim had only been on SNL for one season before his departure.
“i won’t be returning to snl next year,” Wakim, 27, began. “it was a gut punch of a call to get but i’m so grateful for my time there. i was at six flags celebrating my friends 36th birthday and went on a really emotional walk through bugs bunny park and stared out across daffy duck lake thinking about life.”
“every time i scanned into the building i would think how insane it is to get to work there,” he continued. “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. thank u to lorne for taking a chance on me and changing my life.”
He concluded: “i was so lucky to bring some of myself in there and say things i believed in and i’m excited for whatever chapter comes next. here’s to making more art without compromise. onwards and upwards. love u. emil ♥️”
Will Heath/NBC via Getty
Emil Wakim
Last week, SNL creator Lorne Michaels teased that a major cast shakeup was coming.
As he prepares to kick off the upcoming season this October the comedy legend, 80, told Puck News, that the time felt right to make some changes after the milestone 50th season.
“I wanted people coming back and being part of [the 50th season],” he explained. “So, when Kate [McKinnon] hosted, Kristen [Wiig] and Maya [Rudolph] came back for it. And that meant there couldn’t be those kind of disruptions or anything that was going to take the focus off [the 50th season].”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Saturday Night Live season 51 premieres on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Read the original article on People
