Another one bites the dust.
Comedian Emil Wakim has announced his exit from “Saturday Night Live” after just one season, marking the latest casualty as creator Lorne Michaels plans to “shake things up” with a new cast.
“I won’t be returning to snl next year,” Wakim, 27, began in an Instagram post published Wednesday. “It was a gut punch of a call to get but i’m so grateful for my time there.”
“Every time i scanned into the building i would think how insane it is to get to work there,” he continued. “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.”
Despite the “gut punch” of getting fired after just one season on the show, Wakim still thanked Michaels for “taking a chance on me and changing my life.”
“I was so lucky to bring some of myself in there and say things i believed in and i’m excited for whatever chapter comes next,” the comedian concluded his message. “Here’s to making more art without compromise.”
Wakim joined the beloved NBC sketch comedy last year for its monumental 50th season alongside other newcomers Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline.
His “SNL” debut episode came during the season premiere on Sept. 28, hosted by actress Jean Smart. The Chicago native’s final appearance was the May 17 season finale, hosted by Scarlett Johansson.
Besides starring in several sketches, Wakim also appeared alongside “SNL” mainstays Colin Jost and Michael Che during the popular “Weekend Update” segment.
Shortly before Wakim’s announcement, Michaels hinted at major cast changes ahead of the show’s upcoming Season 51 premiere on Oct. 4.
During a Puck News interview, the “SNL” creator and producer replied “yes” when asked if he plans to “shake things up” with a new cast.
“It’ll be announced in a week or so,” he said.
Michaels added that he didn’t make any big cast changes last season because he didn’t want to interfere with the show’s landmark 50th anniversary special, which aired in February.
“I wanted people coming back and being part of [the 50th season],” he explained. “So, when Kate [McKinnon] hosted, Kristen [Wiig] and Maya [Rudolph] came back for it … that meant there couldn’t be those kinds of disruptions or anything that was going to take the focus off [the 50th season].”
“And we had an election,” Michaels added.
Wakim, however, isn’t the first “SNL” cast member to confirm his departure from the program ahead of the new season.
Devon Walker announced his exit on Monday night. He compared his job on the sketch comedy to a relationship, and said that it could be “toxic” at times.
“To me, jobs in this industry feel like a bunch of little marriages,” Walker, 34, began in an Instagram post. “Some of em last for a long time if we’re lucky, but most of them are fleeting. Permanent until they’re not. That’s the deal. You know what it is … when you sign up.”
“Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool,” he continued. “Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But we … made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a f–ked up lil family.”
Walker, who joined “SNL” as a featured player in 2022 before being promoted to the main cast in 2024, didn’t reveal whether he quit or was fired.
Writer Celeste Yim, meanwhile, revealed their exit from the “grueling” show in a lengthy message of their own Sunday night.
“After five seasons, I’m leaving my job at Saturday Night Live,” Yim, 29, wrote on Instagram.
“Lorne hired me over the phone when I was 23 and the job literally made all of my dreams come true,” they continued, “BUT it was also grueling and I slept in my office every week.”
