Saturday Night Live has been on air for almost 50 years, and over the seasons, we've seen its cast lineup change significantly. We’re introduced to new comedic talent who typically stay for a period before either being let go or choosing to leave voluntarily, often to chase bigger opportunities in film, television, or stand-up comedy. One former Saturday Night Live star is now opening up about her time on the iconic sketch comedy show.
Actress and comedian Abby Elliott was a member of the SNL cast for four seasons before she was let go by series creator Lorne Michaels in 2012. She joined the show midway through its thirty-fourth season in 2008 and remained part of the cast until the thirty-seventh season. Also departing after SNL season 37 were longtime cast members Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg. However, they left on their own terms.
Now that some time has passed since her departure, Elliott is sharing her personal experience on SNL, shedding light on the pressures and realities of working on the legendary show, as well as how her exit ultimately led her to new opportunities and growth in her career.
In a new interview with The Independent, Elliott opened up about the intense environment behind the scenes of the sketch comedy, describing how each week was unpredictable and how your happiness as a cast member basically depended on whether your sketches got aired. She stated that if your sketches weren’t getting aired for several weeks, you'd begin to worry about your job security. The fear of being fired was always present, and eventually, that’s what happened to her.
“Every week was a new week, and your happiness would depend on whether you got something on air or not, and if three weeks went by without a sketch, you’d think, ‘Uh-oh, am I going to be fired?’ There was always that looming threat of getting fired. That was the worst that could happen. And then, I kind of did.”
Interestingly, Elliott first asked the show’s creator if she could leave, but then changed her mind and wanted to stay. However, Michaels decided to let her go anyway after the thirty-seventh season. Also in the interview, Elliott shared that while she enjoyed her time on SNL, sketch comedy wasn’t the right long-term path for her. She felt she had learned what she needed to learn and was ready to move on.
“As much as I enjoyed being on that show, sketch comedy wasn’t going to be it for me. It’s not why I started and it’s not how I wanted to end. Also, I had learnt the lessons I was going to learn... and so I left and, you know, the water was warm.”
After her exit, Elliott went on to secure roles in TV shows such as How I Met Your Mother, Inside Amy Schumer, Odd Mom Out and Indebted. She's also had roles in the movies Life Partners, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sex Ed, Better Off Single, Clara's Ghost and Cheaper by the Dozen. You can currently catch her in Hulu's The Bear. She has been a cast member since the first season, playing the role of Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto. The complete fourth installment is now available to stream.
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