Devon Walker has become the first Saturday Night Live cast member to leave ahead of its 51st season.
Walker joined in 2022 as a featured player and was promoted last season ahead of the show’s 50th anniversary.
He is expected to be joined by a number of others as Lorne Michaels clears the way for a refresh of the show, which returns on October 4.
He has done impressions of the likes of Frank Ocean, Michael Strahan, Shannon Sharpe, Draymond Green and Eric Adams during his time on the show.
It’s not a huge surprise, however, given that Walker got the least screen time during Season 50, according to stats by the Saturday Night Live Network.
He revealed the news on Instagram.
“To me, jobs in this industry feel like a bunch of little marriages. Some of ‘em last for a long time if we’re lucky, but most of them are fleeting. Permanent until they’re not. That’s the deal. You know what it is when you sign up,” he wrote.
“Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a fucked up lil family,” he added. “More than anything, I’m just really happy I got to do it with Gary and Alex. Niggas really went from running a bar show to working together at 30 Rock. It’s a beautiful thing, Also, I looked cake up in that picture and I feel like it’s important for people to know what I got going on. Anyway, I’m ‘bout to go to Japan. When I get back I’m tryna be in a prestige drama. Ideally something with Julianne Moore. Hope y’all staying hydrated and getting some money today.”
Walker launched a podcast in April – My Favorite Lyrics.
Prior to his time at the long-running late-night sketch show, he wrote for the hit Netflix animated series Big Mouth, as well as Freeform’s Everything’s Trash starring Phoebe Robinson.
