Though last weekend’s Saturday Night Live Season 50 finale came and went without any official farewells, the show’s longest-tenured cast member says he’s girding for some change ahead of Season 51.
Speaking with Page Six on the red carpet at last week’s Reel Works 24th Changemakers Gala, Kenan Thompson described the the show’s season finales as “bittersweet … especially this year, where it feels like there’s maybe, possibly, a lot of change next year.”
Thompson’s comments would seem to lend credence to persistent rumors that several longtime cast members were planning to leave to leave the show this year, with Colin Jost, Michael Che, Bowen Yang, Heidi Gardner, and Mikey Day all on the rumored departure list. Yang in particular set tongues wagging when he and Sarah Sherman were seen sharing an extended emotional embrace at the end of last weekend’s finale.
Though he’s widely expected to stick around, Thompson added that he himself has yet to sign a contract for what would be his record-breaking 23rd season on SNL.
“You just never know what the future holds,” he explained. “I don’t want to be in the way of someone else or I don’t want to be the stale old man riding the same thing. That doesn’t really happen that much at SNL but there’s no guarantees, I guess.”
“I mean, I love that place,” Thompson added. “It’s one of my favorite places to be.”
It’s not clear when we might get official word of any cast departures. If past history is any guide, the show itself typically goes into a quiet period following season finale right up until early September, though departing cast members will often reveal their plans individually over the summer.
