SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Episode 1882 — Pictured: (l-r) Michael Longfellow and anchor Colin Jost during Weekend Update on Saturday, May 3, 2025 — (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images)
Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images
Michael Longfellow won’t be returning for a fourth season at Saturday Night Live.
The 31-year-old stand-up comedian has parted ways with the show, multiple outlets confirmed Thursday. He’s the third cast member to depart this week, following announcements by Devon Walker and Emil Wakim—and his exit might be the most surprising one yet.
From his debut on the program in 2022, Longfellow was considered by SNL obsessives to be a worthy potential successor to Colin Jost and Michael Che at the “Weekend Update” desk. The comedian joined Che and Jost frequently on the segment, delivering charismatic hot takes as himself or one-off characters like Michelangelo’s David and Punxsutawney Phil.
LateNighter reported Longfellow had screen-tested to be a “Weekend Update” co-anchor earlier this year.
Whether Longfellow’s departure has anything to do with the future of “Weekend Update” remains to be seen. The comedian has yet to comment publicly on the news.
Unlike Longfellow, Walker and Wakim broke their departure news themselves on Instagram.
“it was a gut punch of a call to get but i’m so grateful for my time there,” Wakim wrote.
“…every time i scanned into the building i would think how insane it is to get to work there. it was the most terrifying, thrilling, and rewarding experience of my life and i will miss it dearly and all the brilliant people that work there that made it feel like a home.”
“Me and the show did three years together,” Walker said. “Sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell.”
It’s worth noting the considerable common ground between Longfellow, Walker and Wakim. All three are stand-up comedians rather than improv/sketch performers, and all three are relatively recent hires—a surprising trend at a time when the show’s cast is driven by veterans of five years or more, including Bowen Yang, Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Mikey Day and Kenan Thompson.
Beyond the cast, additional departures at “SNL” ahead of the new season include writers Celeste Yim and Rosebud Baker.
In a recent interview with Puck, Michaels indicated there would be big changes to the show’s personnel following season 50, which saw the show avoiding major disruptions to focus on the election year and its anniversary celebration.
Asked if he felt “pressure to reinvent this season,” Michaels responded, “Yeah, for sure.”
Per Michaels, just one cast member is confirmed to return thus far: James Austin Johnson, who has portrayed President Trump on the show since 2021.
“SNL” will premiere its 51st season on October 4.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davepaulson/2025/08/28/michael-longfellow-parts-with-snl-in-surprising-move/