Pioneering SNL Cast Members Out as Maya Rudolph Returns

Saturday Night Live had two cast members announce their departure this week, as Molly Kearney joined Punkie Johnson in revealing they will not be returning for the show’s upcoming 50th season.

Cast members are typically signed to seven-year contracts that can be broken by SNL, but not the performer, meaning that Kearney and Johnson were almost certainly let go by executive producer Lorne Michaels ahead of what is expected to be a super-sized 50th season. There has not yet been any news about new cast members joining the show, but fans can expect those announcements in the coming weeks ahead of the season premiere on September 28.

Kearney, who became the show’s first nonbinary cast member in 2022, announced their exit just after Johnson, who was the show’s first out Black female queer cast member. Kearney called her two seasons on the show “a dream come true” in their Instagram post.

From their first season on the show, Kearney didn’t shy away from political sketches, appearing as embattled anti-drag Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally. After McNally was caught liking photos of a gay man on Instagram and commented his lusty approval, Kearney mocked McNally and his stances on LGBTQ+ issues on their first “Weekend Update” appearance.

Later in the season, Kearney championed trans rights when they dropped in (literally) to “Weekend Update” to deliver this message: “For some reason, there’s something about the word ‘trans’ that makes people forget the word ‘kids,’” and “If you don’t care about trans kids’ lives, that means you don’t care about freakin’ kids’ lives.”

Kearney had also caught the attention of viewers who enjoyed their impressions, as The Daily Beast had just shortlisted them as a potential ideal cast member to portray VP candidate J.D. Vance. Former SNL cast member and fellow Clevelander Molly Shannon commented on Kearney’s announcement post, “What an incredible run, Molly. Proud to know you. You make Cleveland proud.”

The news comes less than 24 hours after Johnson announced her exit after four seasons, which she also confirmed via Instagram. “SNL I LOVE YOU,” she wrote in the post, “LOOKING FORWARD TO WHATS NEXT!!!” She also cleared up that there was no “bad blood, it’s no bridges burnt, it’s no hard feelings,” as she was “grateful for the experience.”