The cast of SNL in the finale of 2021 replaced their usual cold opening sketch. They reflected on the year and what they remembered.
Kate stood with Bryan, Strong, and Kenan Thompson as she said that this year, they realize they’re not only cast but family. This emotional statement was enough to spark the debate among the fans about whether she was leaving the show, and those rumors turned out to be true.
In July 2022, on Live with Kelly and Ryan, McKinnon, who has received an Emmy Award, talked about her decision to bid farewell to the show.
She said she was thinking about leaving the show for a long time, and it was very hard for her. All she ever wanted to do in her life was to be on Saturday Night Live, and she did that and lived it.
She had the best decade, and then her body was tired, and she realized that it was time to move on with the show. She was asked about making a return on the upcoming show, to which she replied she doesn’t know what she’ll do and whether she can watch the show or not.
She talks about her other family, and she thinks that she will just tape The Bachelorette and what that show is instead.
What is Kate doing outside SNL?
After starting SNL, Late has slowly gained fame as a top comedian in the industry and has even done some serious soles in movies. McKinnon has been very active on the show and has been seen starring in Hollywood movies as well.
In 2016, she was seen in Ghostbuster as Dr. Jillian Holtzman. Other actresses in the movie were Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, and Kristen Wig in The Spy Who Dumped Me.
Other than acting, she has shown her voice skills in popular shows like Nature Cate, The Magic School Buse, Family Guy, and The Simpsons.
Who else left Saturday Night Live?
Other than Kate McKinnon, fans of the show also bid farewell to Pete Davidson and Strong. During the finale of the season, Strong brought back her famous Judge Jeanine Pirro impression and, during the weekend update, belted out My Way.
Pete also left the show. He thanked the viewers and said it has been an honor to grow up in front of you.
The departure from the show is still fresh for Kate McKinnon. In the Vulture’s Good One podcast, she revealed that she was not sure about leaving the show at the end of season 47.
Kate Mckinnon on a Podcast
In the podcast, she explained leaving the show was in her mind because of the grueling schedule. She could do it for the rest of her life if it were not this grueling and if she was naturally a person who likes waking up at 8 a.m. and sleeping early.
She added it was troublesome for her to stay up till 1 a.m., and she felt like she had to go now. She was sad and scared, but it was up to her.
It is not something new. SNL has been famous for its rigorous schedule. On Mondays, the producers and writers produce sketches on the week’s host. On Tuesday, they spent hours and hours writing those scripts, which were sometimes changed before the filming.
Wednesday is when the tables on the scripts are arranged or cut from the upcoming filming. Thursday is for makeup building sets and tests. Friday is when the final recording of the show is done.
The rest of the day is spent rehearsing in front of a live audience, and finally, on Saturday at 8 p.m., the show is aired on TV.
McKinnon had the idea for a while that she would leave the show, but telling the creator was not easy for her. She tearfully said telling Michael was hard for her. He was delightful and knew it was coming.
He has been a father figure to her. It was just hard emotions, not agreeing to say goodbye to doing something that she lives. It still feels fresh to her, like it happened months ago.
