Cecily Strong will leave "Saturday Night Live"

Cecily Strong leaves "Saturday Night Live", continuing exodus of veteran "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" who part ways with the venerable NBC program since last summer.

The NBC show has announced that Saturday's show - expected to be the "last of 2022 from "SNL" - would also mark Strong's final appearance as a cast member. She joined "Saturday Night Live" in 2012 and since then has distinguished herself playing characters such as The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation with at a Party and with a sleazy impersonation of the host of opinion of Fox News. Judge Jeanine Pirro. During his tenure on "SNL," Strong even had a stint as an anchor on "Weekend Update" opposite Seth Meyers and then Colin Jost.

Strong's output shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The actor skipped several episodes this season to take part in a play – a sign that she was already considering other options. Kate McKinnon did something similar in the fall of 2021, at the start of her final season with the program.

And yet, like many "SNL" cast members, Strong doesn't stray too far of this has been its home base. Strong stars in the second season of "Schmigadoon!", a musical parody streaming on Apple+. Like "SNL," the show is produced by Lorne Michaels.

In addition to McKinnon, "SNL" has seen the departures of many of its main cast recent seasons. Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Pete Davidson, Alex Moffat, Chris Redd, Melissa Villaseñor and star player Aristotle Athari did not return for the current cycle.

As more viewers migrate to streaming services to watch their scripted dramas and comedies An on-demand favorite, "SNL" has taken on a new prominence for NBC. Once relegated to airing after late local news in a network of timeslots that network executives didn't consider paramount, "SNL" now airs in live across the United States at the same time, which means it airs in prime time in some parts of the country. This has increased the cost of a 30-second commercial on the program.

In recent seasons, Strong has struck audiences with subtle yet meaningful political humor. In "Weekend Update" in 2021, she portrayed "Goober the clown who had an abortion when she was 23" right after Texas banned abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Just before the midterm elections that took place in November, Strong played on similar themes with a new character, "Tammy the Trucker", who ostensibly talked about high gas prices, but really made remarks about the right to abortion.

Strong made a final appearance on "Weekend Update", playing Cathy Anne, who said that she was there to say goodbye before she went to jail.

"Everyone has to go to jail at some point, and it's just my time now , but I feel so lucky to have been able to spend so many of the best times of my life with these people I love so much,” Strong said.

In the last sketch of the night, Kenan Thompson said goodbye to Strong - on his last day as a Radio Shack employee. Austin Butler, the show's host, then serenaded him by singing "Blue Christmas" by Elvis Presley. Strong joined in, making it a duo. Eventually, the entire cast began singing the Presley classic, surrounding Strong as they said goodbye. A tearful Strong hugged each of them.

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