Why Chloe Fineman Left SNL After 7 Seasons

"Saturday Night Live" is saying goodbye to one of its standout cast members. Chloe Fineman, who first joined the legendary sketch comedy series during the 2019/2020 season, has announced that she's leaving "SNL" following the conclusion of Season 51. Fineman spent seven seasons on the show. When the NBC series returns this fall, Fineman's shoes will need to be filled.

Taking to Instagram, Fineman confirmed her departure, saying, "It's really hard to leave 'SNL,' but it does feel like the right time." It is her decision though, which is key. Unlike people like Adam Sandler, who was fired from "SNL," Fineman is leaving on her own terms. Speaking further, she added the following:

"It's cliche to say this but working at 'SNL' has been the greatest privilege of my life. I still can't really believe I got to be a part of it. I fell in love with the place the second I walked through the door. Lorne (if you're reading this on your burner account) I want you to know that I am forever in your debt. Every day I was lucky enough to be surrounded by the best people in the business, and I was constantly amazed watching them work."

"Sewing a JoJo Siwa costume in 10 hours. Writing a cold open at 2 pm on a Saturday. Finishing the VFX of a video minutes before dress (I don't know if "finishing VFX" is the right technical term, but you get the idea)," Fineman added.

It's another big loss for the show as Bowen Yang also left "SNL" after seven seasons. Lorne Michaels and the brass at NBC will need to find some fresh, young talent to help fill the void come time for Season 52.

Quite a few "Saturday Night Live" cast members have gone on to make movies, and that's certainly on the table for Chloe Fineman. She has been acting more in recent years, including in shows like "Big Mouth" and "Laid." But the sketch show demands a lot of time, leaving less of it to dedicate to other projects.

Fineman has appeared in movies such as "Summer of 69," "Freakier Friday," and Francis Ford Coppola's big, messy passion project "Megalopolis." As reported by Deadline, Fineman has already lined up her next big gig, a role in Netflix's forthcoming Harlan Coben adaptation "Myron Bolitar." Speaking further, Fineman had nothing but fondness for her time at Studio 8H upon reflection:

"It really is funny looking back at it all now, because at the show you get so invested in everything you work on. You sob uncontrollably when your sketch isn't picked. You storm into a producers office telling them they just made the biggest mistake of their lives. You call everyone you know to complain. And then you look back a few years later and it was a sketch called 'lipstick for thicc dogs.' But that's just the show. You respect it so much that you give it absolutely everything you have even when it's incredibly stupid."

"You're ecstatic when it works out and the most devastated you've ever been when it doesn't. And in the end, it doesn't matter all that much, but it did at the moment," Fineman concluded. "I'm going to miss it a lot. But the people who work there are my family, and that place is my home, and I know I'll never be too far away."

You can stream "Saturday Night Live" on Peacock.