Kate McKinnon has been one of the most beloved and versatile actors to grace the Saturday Night Live cast ever since she joined the long-running series in 2012. During her time with the show, McKinnon won two Emmys for supporting actress in a comedy series and is in the running for a third this year.
The actress portrayed several iconic roles over the years, including Justin Bieber, Lindsey Graham, Ellen DeGeneres, Elizabeth Warren, Hillary Clinton, or frequent extraterrestrial witness Colleen Rafferty. While McKinnon appeared on Live With Kelly and Ryan, via Entertainment Weekly, the actress explained her reasoning for leaving SNL after a decade on the show.
"I thought about it for a very long time, and it was very, very hard. All I ever wanted to do in my whole life was be on 'Saturday Night Live.' So, I did, I loved it, I had the best decade, and then I was just like, my body was tired, and I felt like it was time."
Over the years, McKinnon developed life-long friendships with her cast and crew members, and she's not sure if she can still watch the show because of the emotions it will bring.
"I don't know what I will do. I don't know that I can watch the show yet because it's too emo because I miss everyone so much. It's my family. It's too emo. So, I think I'm just going to take 'The Bachelorette' and watch it."
McKinnon exited the series along with Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney following the conclusion of the 47th season.
Aidy Bryant Says the Cast Would Have Left Sooner if COVID Didn't Arrive
When Saturday Night Live lost four of its biggest stars, it was a shock to audiences. However, the cast may not have been around till now had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic. During an interview with Variety, Aidy Bryant says she and her co-stars stayed with the program to try and get one normal final year with the show.
"If it weren't for COVID, I probably would have left a few years earlier. But it was such a huge change. When COVID hit, it was so jarring that we were all like, 'I'm definitely going to come back next year.' And then I had to shoot 'Shrill' for half of last season, and so I missed a lot. And then it was like, 'Well, now I should go back one more.' I kept trying to seek one last normal year. This year wasn't the normal year that I hoped for, but it was closer to that. It was like, 'OK, it's really time now.' And 10 felt like a nice, solid round number."
Bryant joined the show at the same time as McKinnon in 2012, and the duo have been in countless skits together over the years. Now the pair are exiting the series after ten seasons, marking a successful campaign with Saturday Night Live. The long-running sketch-based show will return this fall.