After Lorne Michaels said he plans on shaking up the “Saturday Night Live” lineup for Season 51, it’s been confirmed that several cast members, including Heidi Gardner, will not be returning to the sketch comedy show.
In an August interview with Puck News, the “SNL” creator talked about the future of the hit show, which has been running since 1975. He confirmed at the time that he planned to “shake things up” after the landmark 50th season.
“I wanted people coming back and being part of (the 50th season),” Michaels told the outlet. “And that meant there couldn’t be those kind of disruptions (to the cast), or anything that was going to take the focus off (the 50th season).”
He added that he feels “pressure to reinvent” after Season 50.
“Yeah, for sure,” Michaels answered. “It’ll be announced in a week or so.”
Michaels has seemingly started finalizing the Season 51 cast, and so far, three “SNL” cast members have publicly shared they won’t be returning.
Scroll below to see everything there is to know about the upcoming season of “SNL.”
When Is ‘Saturday Night Live’ Returning for Season 51?
Season 51 of “Saturday Night Live” will premiere on NBC on Oct. 4, per NBC Insider.
Who Is Leaving ‘SNL’ After Season 50?
Though Michaels has yet to confirm the new cast of “SNL,” he told Puck on Aug. 22 that cast shakeups would be “announced in a week or so.”
When asked specifically if comedian James Austin Johnson will reprise his role as U.S. President Donald Trump, Michaels said, “yes.”
Since that interview, cast members Devon Walker, Emil Wakim and Michael Longfellow have announced they won’t be in Season 51.
TODAY.com also learned that Heidi Gardner will not be returning to the show after eight seasons. She has yet to speak out about her departure.
In an Aug. 27 Instagram post, Wakim, who spent one season on the show as a featured player, said he learned he wouldn’t be returning to the show when he was out celebrating a friend’s birthday at Six Flags.
“It was a gut punch of a call to get but I’m so grateful for my time there,” he said.
As for Walker, who joined the show in 2022, he said leaving “SNL” after three years feels like a divorce.
“To me, jobs in this industry feel like a bunch of little marriages. Some of ‘em last for a long time if we’re lucky, but most of them are fleeting,” he said on Instagram on Aug. 25. “Permanent until they’re not. That’s the deal. You know what it is when you sign up.”
“me and baby broke up,” he added in the caption, accompanying a photo of himself next to the “Saturday Night Live” title card.
Longfellow, who also joined the show in 2022, confirmed his departure on Instagram Aug. 28.
“Will not be returning for a 4th season at SNL. Wish I was but, so it goes,” he said in the caption. “It was the best three years of my life so far. I feel nothing but gratitude for the experience and everyone there.”
“SNL” has not yet announced its full Season 51 cast lineup yet.
The cast of Season 50 consisted of:
- Michael Che
- Mikey Day
- Andrew Dismukes
- Chloe Fineman
- Heidi Gardner
- Marcello Hernández
- James Austin Johnson
- Colin Jost
- Michael Longfellow
- Ego Nwodim
- Sarah Sherman
- Kenan Thompson
- Devon Walker
- Bowen Yang
- Plus, featured players Ashley Padilla, Emil Wakim and Jane Wickline
Where Can I Watch ‘SNL’ Season 51?
After its Oct. 4 debut, new episodes of “SNL” will air Saturdays on NBC and will be available to stream on Peacock the next day. (Peacock and TODAY.com share a parent company, NBCUniversal.)
Is Lorne Michaels Retiring?
Lorne Michaels created “Saturday Night Live,” and 50 years later, he’s said he’s not done with the program. Ahead of the anniversary special, many wondered about Michaels’ future with the show.
In February, Michaels, 80, told the New York Times, “I may be wrong. But I don’t feel I’m done.”
In the August interview, Puck asked if he plans on giving some added responsibilities to some of his team members.
“That’s already been happening (in) the past year or so,” he said. “More people are involved in the choices and in the decisions. But I’m not worried about A.I. because A.I. can’t guess what I’m gonna do between 10 and 11 (on show nights)… because I have no idea!”
“There’s a lot of people in that room with a lot of opinions. I make the final decision, obviously. But it’s not as if people don’t let me know how strongly they feel,” he added.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
- Heidi Gardner to Leave ‘SNL’ After 8 Seasons
- ‘Love Island USA’ Stars Iris and Pepe Confirm Their Break Up After Reunion
- ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Releases Trailer for the Last 3 Episodes. Why Fans Say It’s ‘Uncharted Territory’
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