US Edition‘SNL’ Actors Confirmed in and Out for Season 51
Heidi Gardner departs after eight seasons as part of a significant cast shake-up by showrunner Lorne Michaels, while James Austin Johnson returns for season 51 of Saturday Night Live.
- Several cast members announced they will not return to Saturday Night Live ahead of Season 51, with Heidi Gardner exiting after eight seasons while James Austin Johnson is confirmed to return for the October 4, 2025 premiere.
- After the show's 50th season, Lorne Michaels signaled a major casting shakeup due to SNL's cast size criticism in recent years, and he explained his rationale last week, citing pressure to reinvent the show.
- Devon Walker announced his exit via Instagram, describing his three seasons as `sometimes it was toxic as hell`, while Emil Wakim and Michael Longfellow also confirmed they will not return.
- With four cast members not returning, observers note the volume of exits has given many pause and Kenan Thompson expected such roster changes ahead of Season 51.
- There may be more departures this year because many performers who stayed through Season 50 are now leaving, and Lorne Michaels says he feels pressure to reinvent SNL's future direction.
40 Articles
40 Articles
'SNL' Season 51: Who is leaving the cast?
Cast departures are a constant in Saturday Night Live's life cycle. Every year, during the lead-up to a new season, SNL gets a shake-up as current cast members and writers leave the show. The lead-up to Season 51, premiering Oct. 4, is no different. As of Aug. 30, four cast members are confirmed to be exiting the show. SEE ALSO: D23 2025: Every movie and series announced and shown at this year's fan event, so far Here are the actors leaving SNL…
‘SNL’: Every Cast Member Leaving Ahead of Season 51
There’s a shakeup at Studio 8H, as a handful of “Saturday Night Live” cast members have left the show ahead of its 51st season. The exodus began on Aug. 25 with the departure of Devon Walker, who wrote on Instagram that sometimes his time on “SNL” was “really cool” and “sometimes it was toxic as […]
‘Saturday Night Live’: List Of All Cast Members Not Returning For ‘SNL’ Season 51 On NBC
Saturday Night Live just finished celebrating a milestone with 50 seasons on the air, and as the premiere of Season 51 nears, the NBC late-night sketch show is making some changes.
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