Michael Longfellow Leaves ‘SNL’ Despite Rumors of Being Next ‘Weekend Update’ Star
This story was updated to include Longfellow's reaction to his dismissal.
Despite reports this week that Michael Longfellow auditioned to be the next anchorman of Weekend Update, he’ll instead join Devon Walker and Emil Wakim as cast members departing the show, according to Deadline.
Of the three exits, Longfellow’s is the most surprising so far. Walker’s lack of airtime, despite his promotion to full-time cast member, made his goodbye predictable. Likewise, Wakim never got much of a chance to make an impact during his first year.
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But Longfellow has been a rumored Weekend Update candidate for a couple of seasons now, even while he joked about his otherwise lackluster SNL career with Colin Jost during a May Weekend Update appearance. “I work like 12 hours a week. When you love your job, it never feels like work. No, I’m just not in that much stuff this season,” Longfellow admitted. “It’s fine, I walk around, they don’t really keep tabs on your whereabouts here.”
Does that mean Jost and Michael Che will be back behind the fake-news desk? Don’t count on it. Both comics have sent up multiple signal flares that their SNL careers are coming to an end. Longfellow’s exodus simply means that, if Jost and Che are truly gone, someone else is getting that plum job.
This week’s news should highlight another SNL fact: Lorne Michaels has done a lousy job of hiring in recent seasons. Wakim, one of the new comics from Season 50, is already gone. The previous year’s only new hire, Chloe Troast, was shown the door. Longfellow’s class from Season 48 has nearly vanished, with Walker and Molly Kearney out and only Marcello Hernandez remaining. That’s three seasons’ worth of comedians, with only Hernandez showing potential as a star — at least so far.
According to Saturday Night Network’s Jon Schneider, Longfellow, Walker and Wakim were all notified earlier this week that they were out at SNL. The latter two comics addressed the departures on their social media accounts, as did Longfellow on his Instagram Thursday night.
“Will not be returning for a 4th season at SNL. Wish I was but, so it goes. It was the best three years of my life so far. I feel nothing but gratitude for the experience and everyone there. Lorne, you gave me the greatest job in the world and changed my life. You even put my mom on TV. Thank you doesnt begin to cover it, but thank you,” Longfellow posted. “I'll miss it all, but I'll miss the friends I made and seeing them everyday the most. Excited for the future and things to come. If you take anything away from my time on SNL let it be that smoking you makes you skinny and popular, Jesus was Chinese, and if a tortoise ever gives you trouble just kill him tough guy. You wont.”
Longfellow won't be the last cast member to leave the show before the start of the new season. “The shakeup isn't over,” according to Schneider. “More phone calls and major decisions are expected to be made today.”
Sure sounds like more cast members will be following Longfellow out the Studio 8H doors. Michaels promised a major Saturday Night Live shakeup last week, and it appears he means business.
