More Saturday Night Live cast shake-ups take place with another veteran leaving the series. After the end of season 47 has been reported (per THR) That Chris Redd is the next cast member to make his exit. Redd has been on the sketch comedy series since 2017, and with his departure, he will become the eighth cast member to leave for the season 48 premiere in October. The SNL exodus also includes the departures of Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Kyle Moody, Alex Moffat, Melissa Villasenor and Aristotle Athari.
Redd said in a statement: “As part of… SNL has been the experience of a lifetime. Five years ago I walked into 30 Rock knowing it was a great opportunity to grow. Now, with friends that have become family and memories that I will cherish forever, I am Lorne Michaels and the whole SNL organization. I cannot thank you all enough from the bottom of my heart.”
It was recently announced that a handful of comedians have been added to SNL as featured players, including Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker. Unless there are more surprises for the return of SNL on October 1, the other series regulars of the show are expected to return. These include Michael Che, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Colin Jost, Ego Nwodim, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang. Featured players Andrew Dismukes, James Austin Johnson, Punkie Johnson and Sarah Sherman are also expected to return.
Chris Redd has been a fan favorite
During his SNL run, Redd had become a fan favorite in recent years. He managed to claim an Emmy in 2018 for the popular song “Come Back Barack” along with collaborators Kenan Thompson, Will Stephen and Eli Brueggemann. Redd’s celebrities also include Kanye West, US Senator Cory Booker and Sterling K. Brown.
There will be other places to catch Redd after he leaves SNL. He will be the headliner of an HBO Max comedy special called Chris Redd: Why am I like this?, will start streaming later this year. Redd will also appear in the upcoming Neil Bogart biopic spinning gold alongside Jeremy Jordan, Wiz Khalifa and Jay Pharaoh, as well as the Universal movie Cyber Monday.
In recent years, Redd’s acting has also featured in the sitcom kenan next SNL co-star Kenan Thompson, but the show was canceled after two seasons this year. He also starred in the Peacock series bust down which has not yet been renewed for a second season at this time.