Saturday Night Live Loses Three More Cast Members Ahead of Season 48

Saturday Night Live has lost three more cast members ahead of Season 48. TVLine reports that Melissa Villasenor and Alex Moffat are not coming back. Aristotle Athari, a featured player last season, is not returning for another go around either. That brings the grand total of departures to seven for Season 48. Saturday Night Live is going to look wildly different next season because of these vacancies. Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney all said their goodbyes not too long ago. 

When asked about her decision to leave, McKinnon shared her thought process on Live With Kelly and Ryan. "I thought about it for a very long time, and it was very, very hard," she began. "All I ever wanted to do in my whole life was be on Saturday Night Live. So, I did, I loved it, I had the best decade, and then I was just like, my body was tired, and I felt like it was time… I don't know what I will do. I don't know that I can watch the show yet because it's too emo because I miss everyone so much. It's my family. It's too emo. So, I think I'm just going to take The Bachelorette and watch it."

Chance the Rapper spoke to Kenan Thompson about what's kept him around SNL for this long run. During their chat at SXSW a couple of years ago, the two discussed the unique energy that a show of that magnitude brings. Finding that kind of environment on the outside is going to be a tall order.

"We're on Season 46 right now — I've been there for 17 [years]," Thompson explained. "It's a wild place! That's why I am never in a rush to leave because I have never seen anything like it and number two, there aren't many live shows left. It never gets old because it's sketch comedy and it changes every week."

"You were either a child actor in movies…or you just were a TV kid and that's all you did," Thompson added when asked about his earlier years. "You aren't a working person that goes from job to job to job and just has a career. That was a new-ish type of thing. Our generation was focused on getting other jobs and other gigs."

Are you sad to see these three cast members go? Let us know down in the comments!