As “Saturday Night Live” gears up for its 52nd season, another longtime cast member is parting ways with the show.
This departure follows that of Chloe Fineman, who announced her exit from the show after seven years back in July.
Goodbye to Martin Herlihy
GettyThe Hollywood Reporter was among multiple outlets to report that Martin Herlihy has opted not to return for the upcoming season of “SNL,” exiting after five years with the show.
Herlihy is one-third of the comedy group Please Don’t Destroy alongside John Higgins and Ben Marshall, which has produced video shorts of “SNL” for several years.
While Higgins (son of former “SNL” head writer and current “Tonight Show” announcer Steve Higgins) exited, Marshall and Herlihy were made cast members last year.
As THR points out, Herlihy has been juggling the show with a thriving acting career. Recent films have included “The Running Man,” “Roommates,” “The Breadwinner,” and “Happy Gilmore 2” (the latter written by his father, former “SNL” writer Tim Herlihy).
Herlihy Follows Chloe Fineman
Earlier this summer, cast member Chloe Fineman announced she wouldn’t be returning, bringing her “SNL” run to an end after seven seasons.
Fineman announced her exit in a July 16 Instagram post. “After 7 wonderful seasons at SNL, I have decided it’s time for my next chapter,” she wrote.
“It’s cliche to say this but working at ‘SNL’ has been the greatest privilege of my life,” she continued. “I still can’t really believe I got to be a part of it. I fell in love with the place the second I walked through the door.”
After thanking exec producer Lorne Michaels, she added, “Every day I was lucky enough to be surrounded by the best people in the business, and I was constantly amazed … It’s really hard to leave ‘SNL’ but it does feel like the right time. I’m going to miss it a lot. But the people who work there are my family and that place is my home, and I know I’ll never be too far away.”
Shortly after Fineman’s revelation of her exit, Netflix announced that she’d joined the cast of “Myron Bolitar,” the upcoming TV series based on the books of Harlan Coben.
Lorne Michaels’ Future with ‘SNL’
NBCAnother big question mark in the future of “Saturday Night Live” is how long series creator Lorne Michaels will be hanging in as exec producer, given that he’ll be turning 82 later this fall.
“I’m going to do everything I can to see it carry on and carry on well,” Michaels said during a 2021 interview with “CBS Mornings” (via People), at that time hinting he’d probably step down after the 50th season.
That, of course, didn’t happen, and he’s remained with the show.
In a subsequent interview with The New York Times he shared that he didn’t plan on retiring anytime soon.
“I have no plans to retire,” he declared.
Meanwhile, Tina Fey — long rumored to be his successor — said during a “Today” interview that “He’s not gonna retire. No ma’am. He has an elixir and he will live forever.”
