Why Ego Nwodim Left SNL After Seven Seasons

Just when we thought the shake-up at "Saturday Night Live" was complete, one more casting change has come to light. 

Last week, it seemed like the season 51 cast roster for the staple late night sketch comedy show on NBC had been finalized. All of the entertainment trades reported on the cast as if they'd all been locked down. But it turns out one of the presumed returning cast members will not be back: Ego Nwodim.

In a post on Instagram, Nwodim wrote:

"The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight. But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave 'SNL.' I am immensely grateful to Lorne for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support, and friendship. 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."

Nwodim now joins the exodus of cast members ahead of the season 51 premiere on October 4, and Deadline says the comedian came to the decision herself. Featured players Emil Wakim and Michael Longfellow were not asked back for season 51, and cast member Devon Walker confirmed his departure as well. But the biggest surprise was longtime cast member Heidi Gardner leaving the series after eight seasons. Nwodim joins them after being on "SNL" for seven seasons.

This creates a bit of a problem for "SNL," because now they're left without a Black female cast member, which was an issue that got them in some hot water years back. Back in 2014, there was an outcry in the media at the lack of Black female representation on the show at the time, which prompted Lorne Michaels to specifically seek out a Black female comedian, marking their first hire of such a talent since 2007. That's when Sasheer Zamata entered the fray, and since then, we've seen the likes of Leslie Jones, Punkie Johnson, and Ego Nwodim join the players. But what will "SNL" do now?

Aside from allowing "SNL" to tap into any relevant headlines involving famous, Black, female personalities, Ego Nwodim also brought some hilarious characters to the sketch series after joining the cast for season 44 in 2018. 

How could we forget her debut as Lisa from Temecula, who made host Pedro Pascal and fellow cast member Bowen Yang break during a sketch:

Just this past season, Ego Nwodim went viral, not unlike Heidi Gardner's signature moment with host Ryan Gosling and cast member Mikey Day, when she created a shocking moment that found the "SNL" audience shouting a typically censored bit of profanity that made it to air. It was one of the funniest moments of the season, and though it ended up censored in the online version, you can still see the surprised reactions from Nwodim and Weekend Update anchors Michael Che and Colin Jost:

Other memorable bits include hosting the Dionne Warwick Talk Show, after the famed singer became a bit of an online sensation for her social media presence:

Nwodim was also part of the quartet in this Mid-Day News sketch that brought some racially charged satire to the table to the delight of the audience:

As for Nwodim's future, that's likely why she's leaving "SNL." Recently, she's appeared in Peacock's "Poker Face" and "Mr. Throwback," the animated series "Good Times" on Netflix, and she'll soon be seen in the streamer's movie "Little Brother," which follows a famous real estate agent who's carefully curated world is upended when his eccentric "little brother" unexpectedly reappears. The movie stars John Cena, Eric Andre, Christopher Meloni, Sherry Cola, Caleb Hearon, and more. 

Back in 2023, Nwodim talked to Deadline about "SNL" and her larger career, saying, "I have such high hopes for myself and big old dreams for myself and getting to be on this show is one part of that dream. Dream come true. I want my other dreams to come true. I want to be in films and I want to do more TV as well."

Leaving "SNL" will certainly allow her less of a hectic schedule to star in more movies and TV shows, and we're definitely interested to see how her career continues after this. For her part, Nwodim couldn't be more grateful to be part of this exclusive club. During an awards consideration event for the 50th season of "SNL," Nwodim said (via Deadline):

"At one point, there was an event honoring Lorne [Michaels] between the concert on February 14 and the special and Heidi [Gardner] said to me 'I thought there were 500 people in this cast and I'm realizing there's only a hundred-and-something of us ever to be in the cast'. What a special honor to get to be part of that club or family. The 50th felt really nostalgic and beautiful."

The big question is, will "SNL" try to find another Black comedian to fill the gap left behind by her departure? We'll have to wait and see.

"SNL" returns for season 51 on October 4, 2025, and here's the full roster we're expecting to see return to the show: Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Marcello Hernandez, James Austin Johnson, Colin Jost, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, and Bowen Yang, as well as previous featured players Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline. 

They will also be joined by new cast members Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska, as well as Please Don't Destroy's Ben Marshall, all of which you can learn more about right here.