Ego Nwodim will not return for Saturday Night Live season 51 amid the onslaught of cast changes.
“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight,” Nwodim, 37, wrote in an Instagram statement on Friday, September 12. “But, after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL. I am immensely grateful to [executive producer] Lorne [Michaels] for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers and the crew for their brilliance, support and friendship.”
She continued, “Week after week on that stage taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and I will carry those memories (and that laughter) with me always. Now, invite me to your weddings, please!!!”
Nwodim joined SNL during season 44 in 2018 as a featured player . She was promoted to a repertory cast member two years later ahead of season 46.
‘Saturday Night Live’ Season 51: Premiere Date, Cast Changes and Everything You Need to Know
“When they say ‘if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life’ — that’s a really cute quote,” Nwodim told Women’s Wear Daily in September 2024 of her comedic profession. “But if you love what you do, it makes working every day of your life enjoyable.”
Nwodim has made a mark on SNL with her impressions of stars like Dionne Warwick, as well as creating original characters of Lisa from Temecula and Miss Eggy.
“What’s been really cool is sort of learning the voice of the show and how to marry my own to it. I came in having done my one-woman show, for which I wrote 20 characters,” she recalled to WWD. “I think I performed eight total [at the time], but I had written so many characters to try out for that show and then narrowed it down. By the time I got SNL, I felt like I was really clear on what my comedic voice was.”
Nwodim added, “SNL has its own voice and its own way of doing things and its own audience. And so, watching my progress, just from my perspective, I’ve gotten to see myself marry my voice to that of the show’s and make what I do fit into the puzzle that is the show.”
Nwodim won’t be the only SNL vet absent from season 51, which premieres this fall. Cast members Heidi Gardner, Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow and Emil Wakim are also leaving.
Incoming cast members include Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson and Veronica Slowikowska.
