Heidi Gardner is saying goodbye to Saturday Night Live. She won’t be back for the show’s 51st season. The 42-year-old comedian has spent eight seasons making us laugh on the iconic sketch show. Media reports confirm her departure. Interestingly, Gardner hasn’t made a public announcement herself. Her Instagram profile still links to SNL‘s official account. This keeps fans guessing. A well-known entertainment publication reached out to NBC for a statement.
Her departure isn’t the only change happening backstage. Earlier, Devon Walker and Emil Wakim also confirmed they were leaving. News broke on Thursday that Michael Longfellow would not return either. It seems SNL is getting a bit of a facelift.
This big cast shake-up comes after creator Lorne Michaels hinted at changes for the upcoming 51st season. He mentioned this after the show’s huge 50th-anniversary party earlier this year. Michaels shared a story with Puck in an interview on Sunday, August 24. He recalled a conversation with Dana Carvey, who played Joe Biden, at a past after-party. Carvey joked that no one knew Michaels had called him on June 4 to play the role. Michaels explained he wanted familiar faces like Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, and Maya Rudolph to return for the 50th season. This meant he didn’t want any cast exits to take away from the big anniversary. Plus, there were elections, which kept things busy.
Gardner first joined SNL in 2017. During her eight years on the show, she brought many memorable characters to life. Fans loved her as the teenage film critic Bailey Gismert. She also shined as Angel, the spirited girlfriend of every boxer in every movie about boxing.
Her time on SNL also opened doors to a steady acting career. She landed roles in films like Life of the Party in 2018 and Hustle in 2022. She even voiced Eli’s mom in the 2023 movie Leo. On the small screen, Gardner began playing Grace in AppleTV+’s Shrinking in 2023. She also had a guest role on You earlier this year.
Before the news of her exit, Gardner shared some honest thoughts about her SNL experience. She admitted that creating sketches can sometimes feel a bit like déjà vu. "I’d say the only thing I’ve started to feel is a bit of sketch or idea fatigue," she said on Craig Ferguson’s "Joy, a Podcast" in February. She added, "By now, after so much time at Groundlings and SNL, I think, ‘I’ve written a ton of sketches.’"
Gardner explained that some weeks, she struggled for fresh ideas. "There are weeks where I think, ‘I don’t have an idea for a sketch, a game, or a character,’" she said. Luckily, SNL has amazing writers who would step in and say, "But I have an idea for you." That part, she noted, became a bit tricky. Still, she made it clear she loved "playing characters" on the show. She knew SNL was unique for letting her dive into roles "at this level."
She also dropped hints about her next steps. She told podcast listeners she hopes to co-star and co-write her own series. "I’d love to have a series where I co-star and co-write," she shared. "And it’s a character and a world. And it’s a character I can live in for a while and explore more." It sounds like she’s ready for new adventures.
Fans can mark their calendars: Saturday Night Live will be back for its 51st season. Tune in on NBC on Saturday, October 4, at 11:30 p.m. ET.