April 24, 2024
Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson departing from ‘SNL’

Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson departing from ‘SNL’

Kate McKinnon poses at the Peacock limited drama series “Joe vs. Carole” cast photo call at 30 Rockefeller Plaza on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in New York.

Charles Sykes/Charles Sykes/Invision/AP


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Kate McKinnon poses at the Peacock limited drama series “Joe vs. Carole” cast photo call at 30 Rockefeller Plaza on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in New York.

Charles Sykes/Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

NEW YORK — Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson are among those departing from “Saturday Night Live,” leaving the sketch institution without arguably its two most famous names after Saturday’s 47th season finale.

Aidy Bryant and Kyle Mooney will also leave the cast after the episode hosted by Natasha Lyonne.

The departures represent one of the biggest cast shake-ups in years on a show that has seen unusual steadiness in recent seasons.

McKinnon, 38, won two Emmys and was nominated for nine in her 10 seasons on the show, during which her impressions included Hillary Clinton, and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Her comic chops with characters like alien abductee Miss Rafferty frequently drove castmates and guest hosts to lose it live on air.

McKinnon opened the show with an out-of-this-world skit, and said her final goodbyes on “Earth.”

“I love ya, thanks for letting me stay awhile. Live from New York, it’s Saturday night,” she said to open the show.

FILE -Comedian Pete Davidson attends the premiere of “Big Time Adolescence” at Metrograph on Thursday, March 5, 2020, in New York. Pete Davidson has bowed out of a short trip to space in late March. Jeff Bezos’ space travel company said Thursday, March 17, 2022, that the “Saturday Night Live” star is no longer able to make the flight.

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FILE -Comedian Pete Davidson attends the premiere of “Big Time Adolescence” at Metrograph on Thursday, March 5, 2020, in New York. Pete Davidson has bowed out of a short trip to space in late March. Jeff Bezos’ space travel company said Thursday, March 17, 2022, that the “Saturday Night Live” star is no longer able to make the flight.

Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

The 28-year-old Davidson joined the cast in 2014 and has appeared in eight seasons. His own outsize personality often outshone the characters he played. His comic commentaries as himself on “Weekend Update” were often his most viral bits. And he was as well-known for his life offscreen — dating Ariana Grande and current girlfriend Kim Kardashian — as on.

“I never imagined this would be my life,” Davidson said during the show. “I appreciate SNL for always having my back, for allowing me to work on myself and grow. Thank you to Lauren for never giving up on me or judging me even when everyone else was, for believing in me and allowing me to have a place I could call home with the memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you.”

Bryant, 35, joined the cast at the same time as McKinnon and has been a constant in sketches ever since, getting four Emmy nominations of her own.

Mooney, 37, appeared in nine seasons starting in 2013.

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