Ego Nwodim is officially leaving ‘Saturday Night Live’ after seven seasons.
Another beloved Saturday Night Live star is leaving Studio 8H. Ego Nwodim has announced she’s stepping away from the legendary sketch series after seven seasons, marking the end of an era for one of the show’s standout comedic voices.
“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight,” Nwodim said in a statement. “After seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL. I am immensely grateful to Lorne [Michaels], my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support, and friendship.”
Nwodim, who first joined the cast in 2018 for Season 44, quickly carved out her place in SNL history. From her hilarious “Lisa from Temecula” character who sparked viral chaos over overcooked steak to her spot-on impersonations of Dionne Warwick, Nwodim consistently delivered some of the show’s most memorable sketches.
Earlier this year, she even went viral as Miss Eggy, a moment that had the live audience shouting expletives on-air.
Her exit comes just as Season 51 gears up for its October 4 premiere. While the cast was thought to be set, Nwodim’s departure follows the news that Heidi Gardner, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker also won’t be returning.
That leaves longtime favorites like Kenan Thompson, Colin Jost, Bowen Yang, and Chloe Fineman to carry the torch alongside several new cast members.
For Nwodim, leaving SNL is bittersweet but also exciting. Over the past few years, she’s been expanding her career outside of the show with roles in Peacock’s Poker Face, Netflix’s Little Brother (starring alongside John Cena, Eric André, and Michelle Monaghan), and the series Mr. Throwback.
Back in 2023, she told Deadline her dream was to dive deeper into TV and film: “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.”
Her timing makes sense—she just celebrated SNL’s huge 50th anniversary earlier this year, calling it a “surreal” and “special honor.” Reflecting on the milestone, Nwodim shared how meaningful it was to realize she’s part of a very small group of comedians who’ve ever been in the cast.
As she steps into her next chapter, fans can expect to see even more of Nwodim on the big and small screens. And while her presence will surely be missed on Saturday nights, she’s leaving with the kind of legacy that only a true SNL standout can claim.
What do you think of Ego’s decision to leave SNL? Will you miss her iconic characters?
