{"id":185319,"date":"2025-08-29T19:05:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T19:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/185319\/"},"modified":"2025-08-29T19:05:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T19:05:10","slug":"devon-walker-on-leaving-with-heidi-gardner-michael-longfellow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/185319\/","title":{"rendered":"Devon Walker on Leaving With Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tSaturday Night Live<\/a> is primed to look very different in season 51, and one of its recent cast-offs is reacting to the dramatic fan response.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe exits of SNL<\/a> season 50 castmembers Devon Walker<\/a>, Emil Wakim<\/a>, Michael Longfellow<\/a> and Heidi Gardner<\/a> were announced this week, leading to stunned reaction from viewers of the long-running NBC<\/a> sketch show. Gardner had been a castmember for eight seasons, while Walker and Longfellow had been SNL performers for three seasons. Wakim had logged just one year as a featured player.<\/p>\n

\n\tWriters Celeste Yim<\/a> and Rosebud Baker have also announced their exits.<\/p>\n

\n\tOn Thursday, one X user tagged Walker and Longfellow in a post sharing previous photos of the pair posing together, with the fan adding a note to \u201cwish you both nothing but the best.\u201d This led Walker to respond<\/a>, \u201cYall acting like we died lol we just getting different jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThis sentiment mirrored that of an Instagram Story that Walker posted earlier this week<\/a> when news broke that he was leaving the Lorne Michaels<\/a>-created series. \u201cJust to be clear, this is good news!\u201d the performer wrote at the time. \u201cIt was just time for me to do something different. Please don\u2019t be hitting me with the \u2018I\u2019m so sorry\u2019 \u2014 we not on that at ALL. Sometimes mom and dad just don\u2019t see things eye to eye.\u201d <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tMichael Longfellow on Saturday Night Live.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWill Heath\/NBC\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tEarlier on Thursday, Longfellow posted<\/a> to Instagram that he would not be returning for his fourth season: \u201cWish I was but, so it goes. It was the best three years of my life so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIn his own Instagram note this week, Wakim wrote that being informed<\/a> that he would not return \u201cwas a gut punch of a call to get but i\u2019m so grateful for my time there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tGardner has yet to comment publicly on her departure, though she did reply to Walker\u2019s post in the comments with a supportive \u201cI love you.\u201d She was the longest-tenured female member of the show\u2019s active cast.<\/p>\n

\n\tFormer SNL star Punkie Johnson, who left<\/a> ahead of season 50 after four seasons, has also commented on Walker, Longfellow and Wakim\u2019s exit announcement posts welcoming them all to the \u201coutside.\u201d In response to Longfellow, she wrote, \u201cWTF is happening\u2026 This is like the departed\u2026 My sexy handsome work husband\u2026 I love you so much\u2026I\u2019ll call you\u2026 Welcome back outside baby\u2026. I\u2019ll see you out here soon.\u201d Chris Redd<\/a>, who left ahead of season 48 after five seasons, also welcomed Wakim to the \u201cother side\u201d in the comments of his post.<\/p>\n

\n\tDuring an interview with Puck<\/a> last week, Michaels acknowledged that cast cuts would be likely to come soon. He noted that James Austin Johnson<\/a> would continue to portray President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n