Fred Armisen, Jason Sudeikis to Leave SNL?
Fred Armisen and Jason Sudeikis may be following departing cast members Seth Meyers and Bill Hader out the SNL door.
A source at NBC reported to the New York Post on Thursday that longtime cast members Fred Armisen and Jason Sudeikis would very likely be leaving Saturday Night Live after the season finale on Saturday.
Armisen, who has been on the show for 11 years, has decided to leave the show after this season, according to the source. His presence on the show has decreased since writing and acting in his own sketch comedy show Portlandia, so he will likely be devoting his time to the IFC show.
Best known for his impressions as President Barack Obama and Governor David Paterson as well as original characters Manuel Ortiz and one half of singing duo Garth & Kat, Armisen will be leaving behind a legacy of great performances.
Sudeikis has been on the show for eight years and is said to "probably" be leaving after this season as well. The comedian has been contemplating leaving the show since last year, as seen in his interview with the L.A. Times.
Sudeikis has become popular through his impressions of political figures Mitt Romney and Joe Biden. He would be leaving after eight seasons on the show.
With Bill Hader's announcement that he too would be leaving the sketch comedy show, SNL will be losing many of its veteran members. Seth Meyers is set to leave after the fall season to work on his new Late Night show.
This leaves Kenan Thompson as the most senior cast member, joining the show in 2003. The rest of the cast is relatively new, with the next oldest being Bobby Moynihan, who joined the show in 2008.
Saturday Night Live will air its season finale this Saturday, May 18th, with host Ben Affleck and musical guest Kanye West.
