Ego Nwodim is shedding some more light about her decision to leave “Saturday Night Live.”
Nwodim, who had been with the late-night show for the past seven seasons, says she has her eyes set on other goals, which “SNL” help set in motion.
“There’s so much I want to do and ‘SNL’ is always meant to be a stepping stone,” she said at the Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York City on Sept 17.
“There’s so many ideas that I need to have time to create and I’m looking forward to doing that. So directing, more writing in a different capacity. Very excited. It’s an exciting thing.”
On Sept. 12, Nwodim announced she was leaving “SNL.”
“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight. But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave ‘SNL,’” she wrote on her Instagram stories.
She also thanked show creator Lorne Michaels and everyone else she worked with on the program.
“I am immensely grateful to Lorne for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support, and friendship,” she wrote. “Week after week on that stage taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and I will carry those memories (and that laughter) with me always.”
Nwodim was a popular member of the cast, having joined “SNL” for its 44th season in 2018. She memorably appeared in the viral 2023 “Lisa from Temecula” sketch and, earlier this year, accidentally got the studio audience to shout an expletive during an appearance on “Weekend Update.”
Nwodim’s desire to take her career in new directions is something she has spoken about before, even while acknowledging the accomplishment of making it to “SNL.”
“Dream come true. I want my other dreams to come true. I want to be in films and I want to do more TV as well,” she told Deadline in 2023.
Nwodim is one of five people exiting “SNL” before its new season, joining Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker and Emil Wakim. Five new cast members, including Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska, will join the series.
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