Saturday Night Live continues to overhaul its cast ahead of season 51. News broke that Michael Longfellow will not return, coming as a bit of a surprise to some fans who thought big things were in the performer's future. However, the writing was on the wall throughout season 50.
According to Deadline, Longfellow is done at Saturday Night Live after three seasons. He joined SNL as a featured player during season 48 and had just been promoted the previous year. Longfellow joins Devon Walker and Molly Kearney as the cast members from that cast to be let go, with only Marcello Hernandez remaining at Studio 8H.
Now, Longfellow becomes the third cast member to leave Saturday Night Live this summer, following Walker and Emil Wakim. Lorne Michaels warned fans that there would be a cast turnover ahead of season 51; however, some are still surprised to see Longfellow moving to the exit.
A portion of SNL fans considered Longfellow to be a perfect fit as a "Weekend Update" host given his often dry sense of humor and deliver style. And like most comedians-turned-cast members, Longfellow did his best work on the show playing himself at the "Update" desk.
However, the evidence pointed to Longfellow being among those leaving Saturday Night Live at the end of season 50. He landed near the bottom of the cast in terms of screen time last year, even going so far as joking about how little he works and goes without supervision during a spot on "Weekend Update."
And the departures of Walker and Wakim signalled a change in approach for season 51. Stand-up comedians usually have a longer adjustment period than cast members coming to Saturday Night Live with an improv or sketch background. It's telling that the three cast members who have left are all stand-up comedians first.
Michaels may want to make a harder shift toward performers who can bring original characters or impressions to SNL in the upcoming season. Longfellow never developed a stand-out character like Hernandez did with Domingo. That's not to say there is no place at SNL for someone with Longfellow's talents (see Pete Davidson, for example). But if Michaels wants to infuse the cast with something different, then room had to be made.
Longfellow currently has two stand-up shows scheduled for September in California. Fans should expect more from the comedian as he enters the next chapter in his comedy career.