Saturday Night Live star Emil Wakim is the latest cast member to announce their departure from the show.
The comedian, 27, joined the cast of SNL in 2024 for its 50th season, often appearing in the “Weekend Update” segment or performing stand-up bits as himself or various characters. In one memorable December segment, he played Luigi Mangione, the man charged with the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
However, Wakim is now leaving SNL after only one season. “I won’t be returning to SNL next year. It was a gut-punch of a call to get, but I’m so grateful for my time there,” he wrote on Instagram Wednesday, while sharing some behind-the-scenes photos from the NBC set.
“I was at Six Flags celebrating my friend’s 36th birthday and went on a really emotional walk through Bugs Bunny Park and stared out across Daffy Duck Lake thinking about life,” he added.
Wakim reflected on how “insane” it was for him to “scan into” the 30 Rockefeller Plaza building in New York City for work this past year.
“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 wrote, referring to SNL creator Lorne Michaels.
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.”
Days earlier, another SNL cast member, Devon Walker, announced his departure after three seasons.
“Me and baby broke up,” Walker, who parodied celebrities and politicians, such as Michael Strahan and Tim Scott, on the comedy show, wrote on Instagram Monday. “To me, jobs in this industry feel like a bunch of little marriages. Some of ’em last for a long time, but most of them are fleeting. Permanent until they’re not. That’s the deal. You know what it is when you sign up.”
“Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But … we made the most of what it was, even amidst all the dysfunction. We made a f***ed up lil family.”
In a separate Instagram Story, Walker added: “Just to be clear, this is good news! It was just time for me to do something different. Please don’t be hitting me with the ‘I’m so sorry’ — we not on that at ALL. Sometimes mom and dad just don’t see things eye to eye.”
Wakim and Walker’s exits come after Michaels promised a major shake-up ahead of Season 51, which is scheduled to premiere October 4.
Michaels said he waited to announce cast departures because he was focused on “people coming back and being part” of the show’s 50th season, and he didn’t want “disruptions” to “take the focus off” that. “And we had an election,” he added.
However, this season, he feels “the pressure to reinvent,” promising new cast members, including on the popular “Weekend Update” segment.
