This combination of photos shows cast members from Saturday Night Live, from left; Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon and Kyle Mooney. Bryant, Davidson, McKinnon and Mooney are leaving “Saturday Night Live,” leaving the sketch institution without arguably its most famous names after Saturday’s Season 47 finale. (Associated Press)
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NEW YORK — Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson are among those leaving “Saturday Night Live,” leaving the sketch institution without arguably the most famous names after Saturday’s Season 47 finale.
Aidy Bryant and Kyle Mooney will also leave the cast after the episode hosted by Natasha Lyonne.
The departures represent one of the biggest cast changes in years on a show that has seen an unusual consistency in recent seasons.
McKinnon, 38, won two Emmys and was nominated for nine in her 10 seasons on the show, in which she impressed Hillary Clinton and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Her comedic skills with characters like alien-abducted Miss Rafferty often drove castmates and guest presenters to go live on the air.
McKinnon opened the show with an out-of-this-world skit, saying goodbye to “Earth” for good.
“I love you, thank you for letting me stay for a while. Live from New York, it’s Saturday night,” she said to open the show.
Davidson, 28, joined the cast in 2014 and has appeared in eight seasons. His own oversized personality often overshadowed the characters he played. His comic book comments as himself on Weekend Update have often been his most viral parts. And he was as well known for his life off-screen — with Ariana Grande and current girlfriend Kim Kardashian — as he was on TV.
“I never thought this would be my life,” Davidson said during the show. “I appreciate SNL for always having my back, allowing me to work on myself and grow. Thank you to Lorne for never giving up on me or judging me even when everyone else was, for believing in me and allowing me to have a place I could call home with the memories that will last a lifetime . Thanks.”
Bryant, 35, joined the cast at the same time as McKinnon and has since become a constant in sketches, for which she herself received four Emmy nominations.
Mooney, 37, appeared in nine seasons beginning in 2013.
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