Cecily Strong is the latest actor to leave NBC Live Saturday night.
Strong’s last performance was the Saturday night version. She appeared as Kimberly Guilfoyle in the chilling opening and other segments, including a segment on “Jewish Elvis” as well as “Weekend Update”. In the latter, she plays the recurring character Cathy Anne, who is saying “goodbye” because she’s going to prison. She joked that she would be fine because she has “friends on the inside, they seem fine” as a photo of recently departed members Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant flashed across the screen in prisoner costume.
“Everybody has to go to jail at some point, right? Now is my time,” she added. Breaking down the character a bit towards the end, she said: “I had a lot of fun here. And I feel really lucky that I have had so many of the best moments of my life in this place and with the people that I love so much.”
Another segment shows her as a RadioShack employee working on her last day on the job. In the skit, Kenan Thompson, playing her boss, notes that she had an “incredible eight years” working there. “Well, I’ve been here 11,” she said. “I know, and eight of them are amazing,” he replied, adding: “Honestly, I don’t think RadioShack would have lasted this long without Cecily. Every time she comes to work, she has a new personality, a new tone, or a new impression that will leave you overwhelmed. She’ll have a strength and joy with her performance that makes you remember why you loved working at RadioShack in the first place.”
Server (and Elvis star) Austin Butler then appeared as “Casual Elvis” – the joke was that they didn’t have enough money to buy an Elvis Presley costume – and invited her to play “Blue Christmas”, after which she joined, followed by Thompson and the rest of SNL cast.
The news of her passing was announced on Saturday SNL’your social media accounts (see below).
She joined the sketch show executive produced by Lorne Michaels in 2012, the show’s 38th season. Over the years, she’s created characters like “The Girl You Wish You Didn’t Start Chatting At A Party” and impersonated celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Megyn Kelly, and Liz Cheney.
It is understood that the plan is for Strong to return only in the first half of the current season. Fans noticed her absence from the opening of the season’s premiere in October, but at the time she was appearing in Looking for signs of intelligent life in the universe at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and was therefore unable to record SNL in New York.
The next strong stars in the second season of AppleTV+ Schmigadoon!, also executive produced by Michaels. She has also been on hiatus SNL while filming that series.
Strongly following in the footsteps of other actors who just left SNLincluding McKinnon, Bryant and Pete Davidson.
Saturday nights SNL features host Austin Butler and musical guest Lizzo.
Update 10:32pm on December 17: Added Strong’s appearance on “Weekend Update”.
