Ego Nwodim Exits ‘SNL’ After Seven Seasons: ‘The Hardest Part of a Great Party Is Knowing When to Say Goodnight’

Ego Nwodim is leaving “Saturday Night Live” after seven seasons as a cast member.

“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight,” she wrote in an Instagram story. “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.”

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Nwodim joined “SNL” as a featured player ahead of Season 44 in 2018 before being promoted to the repertory cast for Season 46 in 2020. Before “SNL,” she performed regularly with Upright Citizens Brigade and was one of Just for Laughs’ New Faces in 2016, with credits including three episodes of “Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders” on NBC in 2017. Since joining “SNL,” she has also starred in “Mr. Throwback” on Peacock and appeared in films including “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” and “Good Burger 2.” Up next, she will appear in the Netflix comedy film “Little Brother” opposite John Cena, Eric André, Michelle Monaghan, Christopher Meloni, Ego Nwodim and Sherry Cola.

Unless additional cast members are added, Nwodim’s exit means that Season 51 of “SNL” will be the first with zero Black women in the cast since Sasheer Zamata’s casting in 2014. (Zamata was the series’ first Black female cast member since Maya Rudolph’s departure in 2007. Leslie Jones joined the cast in 2016 before departing in 2019, and Nwodim was the seventh Black female cast member in “SNL” history. Punkie Johnson was the eighth, joining in 2020 and leaving in 2024.)

News of Nwodim’s departure comes after thorough shake-up at the late-night sketch show that was previously believed to have concluded, though Variety has learned that circumstances changed for Nwodim after the final announcements were made, causing her to choose to pursue other opportunities.

Devon Walker was the first cast member to announce his departure from “SNL” on Aug. 25, followed by Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow and Heidi Gardner. Additionally, Please Don’t Destroy member Ben Marshall was promoted to the featured cast, while Martin Herlihy will remain on the writing staff and John Higgins has left “SNL.” Other new cast members include Veronika Slowikowska, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson and Tommy Brennan. See a full cast guide for the upcoming 51st season here.