NEED TO KNOW
Devon Walker thinks Saturday Night Live fans may be overreacting to the show’s cast shakeup
The departure of four SNL cast members — Walker, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow and Heidi Gardner — was confirmed earlier this week ahead of the sketch comedy show’s season 51.
Fans reacted to the news on social media, with one writing on X of Walker and Longfellow, “ohhh my boys @internetdevon @Longfellowww i wish you both nothing but the best.”
Walker, 34, reposted the message and commented, “yall acting like we died lol we just getting different jobs.”
Leanne Diaz/NBC via Getty
Walker first addressed his exit from the NBC late night show after three seasons in an Instagram post on Aug. 25.
“Me and baby broke up ❤️,” the comedian — who released his Hulu stand-up special LOL Live earlier this month — wrote alongside photos from the show.
He also opened up about 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 shared. “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.”
Walker added: “More than anything, I’m just really happy I got to do it with Gary and Alex. N—– really went from running a bar show to working together at 30 rock! It’s a beautiful thing. Also I look caked up in that picture and I feel like it’s important for people to know what I got going on.”
“Anyway, I’m bout to go to Japan. When I get back I’m tryna be in a prestige drama. Ideally something with Julianne Moore. Hope y’all staying hydrated and getting some money today,” he concluded.
In addition to Walker, Longfellow and Wakim also spoke out about their departures from the series.
In an Instagram post on Aug. 27, Wakim — who appeared on SNL for one season — said in part, “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.”
Mike Coppola/NBC via Getty
The following day, Longfellow shared a similar sentiment on Instagram, writing on his exit, “Will not be returning for a 4th season at SNL. Wish I was but, so it goes. It was the best three years of my life so far. I feel nothing but gratitude for the experience and everyone there.”
Gardener hasn’t publicly addressed her departure after being part of the cast for eight seasons.
SNL creator Lorne Michaels previously revealed that a major cast shakeup was on the horizon.
In an interview with Puck News, he acknowledged that he was ready to make some changes after the show’s 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].”
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Saturday Night Live season 51 premieres on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
