Cecily Strong

Cecily Strong, who first joined Saturday Night Live back in September 2012 during the show's season 38, is exiting the late-night comedy sketch series.

Then, [Chris Redd](https://people.com/tv/snl-chris-redd-weighs-in-on-pete-davidson-kanye-west-feud/) announced [his departure from SNL](https://people.com/tv/chris-redd-latest-to-depart-saturday-night-live/) after five seasons. [confirmed](https://people.com/tv/saturday-night-live-melissa-villasenor-alex-moffat-aristotle-athari-leave-before-season-48/) on Sept. Strong will next star in season 2 of the AppleTV+ series Schmigadoon!, which is executive produced by SNL mastermind Lorne Michaels. (Both Bryant, 35, and McKinnon, 38, have since left the series.) [Marcello Hernandez](https://www.instagram.com/marcellohdz/?hl=en), [Molly Kearney](https://www.instagram.com/meatbrickmolly/?hl=en), [Michael Longfellow](https://www.instagram.com/longfellow_michael/?hl=en) and [Devon Walker](https://www.instagram.com/internetdevon/?hl=en). [Pete Davidson](https://people.com/tag/pete-davidson/), Bryant and [Kyle Mooney](https://people.com/tv/kanye-west-rap-battles-kyle-mooney-on-saturday-night-live-video/) exited after the [season 47 finale](https://people.com/tv/aidy-bryant-leaves-saturday-night-live-snl-weekend-update-video/). Strong first joined SNL back in September 2012 during the show's season 38. [Sofia Vergara](https://people.com/tag/sofia-vergara/) and [Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://people.com/tag/lin-manuel-miranda/), as well as many of the women in [Donald Trump](https://people.com/tag/donald-trump/)'s inner circle, such as [Melania Trump](https://people.com/tag/melania-trump/), [Ivana Trump](https://people.com/tag/ivana-trump/) and [Kimberly Guilfoyle](https://people.com/politics/kimberly-guilfoyle-speaks-with-jan-6-committee-after-previous-interview-attempt/). [Aidy Bryant](https://people.com/tag/aidy-bryant/) and [Kate McKinnon](https://people.com/tag/kate-mckinnon/). "Tonight we send off one of the best to ever do it. "No way. We'll miss you, Cecily!"

'Saturday Night Live' cast member Cecily Strong said goodbye and sang an Elvis classic on the Christmas episode, departing the show after 11 seasons.

She next stars in the upcoming second season of the Apple TV+ musical comedy series In addition, she brought hilarious original personalities to 30 Rock as well, like the aforementioned Girl and Cathy Anne plus aspiring British singer Gemma. She co-anchored Weekend Update first with Seth Meyers, and when he left to host "Late Night" in 2014, Strong teamed with writer Colin Jost. "Every time she came to work, she had a new character or a new accent or a new impression that would just blow you away. Strong then broke character in meta fashion to sum up her time on "SNL": "It's just my time now but I had a lot of fun here. With Santa hat on her head and cigarette in hand, Cathy Anne admitted that she's finally going to prison but isn't mad about it: "I think it’s going to give me some much-needed stability.

The 11-year 'Saturday Night Live' vet said goodbye during “Weekend Update”—in character as her drug-addicted hell-raiser Cathy Anne, naturally.

and doing a couple of Sonic attacks.” (By that, she meant “doing an upper-decker in a Sonic.”) Then, tearing up, Strong (as Cathy Anne) broke character a bit, saying, “It’s just my time now. “It’s covering a giant open wound,” she said of the Santa hat. “I got a little bit scalped… had been picked up for a second season thanks to strong reviews. [SNL](https://www.rollingstone.com/t/snl/) had just experienced a wave of high-profile departures—Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kyle Mooney, Alex Moffat, Chris Redd, Melissa Villaseñor and Aristotle Athari—prior to the start of the season, and Strong herself had not only taken the first few weeks of it off due to her one-woman show, but also her Apple TV+ series Schmigadoon!

She joined the sketch show, executive produced by Lorne Michaels, in 2012, its 38th season. Over the years, she created such characters as “The Girl You Wish ...

It’s understood that the plan had been for Strong to return for only the first half of the current season. She’d have a power and joy to her performance that made you remember why you loved working at RadioShack in the first place.” And I feel really lucky that I have had so many of the best moments of my life in this place, and with these people that I love so much.” She joined the sketch show, executive produced by Lorne Michaels, in 2012, its 38th season. She joked that she’d be fine because she had “friends on the inside, they seem to be doing OK” as a photo of recently departed castmembers Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant were shown onscreen in prison garb. Every time she came to work, she had a new character, or a new accent, or a new impression that would just blow you away. Another segment saw her as a RadioShack employee working her last day on the job. Host (and Elvis star) Austin Butler then appeared as “Casual Elvis” — the joke was that they didn’t have enough money to spring for an Elvis Presley costume — and serenaded her with “Blue Christmas,” which she then joined in on, followed by Thompson and the rest of the SNL cast. In the skit, Kenan Thompson, playing her boss, noted that she’d had “eight incredible years” working there. “I know, and eight of them were incredible,” he replied, adding: “Frankly, I don’t think RadioShack could have lasted this long without Cecily. Breaking character a bit toward the end, she said: “I had a lot of fun here. It’s my time now,” she added.

Longtime 'Saturday Night Live' cast member Cecily Strong is leaving the show. The Austin Butler-hosted final show of 2022 will be the comedian's last after ...

Shortly after the season 46 finale in 2021, she told [Entertainment Tonight](https://www.etonline.com/cecily-strong-talks-future-on-snl-and-working-on-the-musical-comedy-schmigadoon-exclusive-168084) of her potential to return to the show: "I'll be thrilled if I go back; I'll be thrilled if that was my last show." Strong's own exit had seemed on the horizon for the past few years after several absences from the show while working on other projects or dealing with the grief of [losing a close family member](https://people.com/tv/cecily-strong-cousin-death-brain-cancer-grieving-during-coronavirus/) to cancer during quarantine. She went on to become one of the longest-tenured cast members on the show, the One-Dimensional Female Character From a Male-Driven Comedy; and her most powerful appearance as "Tonight we send off one of the best to ever do it. We'll miss you, Cecily!"

"Saturday Night Live's" final show of 2022 doubled as a send-off for Cecily Strong, who exited amid her 11th season.

"I got friends on the inside," she said, as a picture of McKinnon and Bryant in orange jumpsuits appeared on screen. On Saturday, Strong appeared in the cold open as Kimberly Guilfoyle, Republican operative and fiancée of Donald Trump Jr. "I guarantee, 'You’ll sleep in heavenly peace!'" Strong, 38, grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, as the product of divorced parents. Her skill was seen in her beloved impression of Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro, played as a wine-addicted blowhard who has a crush on former President Donald Trump. "Now that’s what no one calls music!" Radio Shack," he said. It was during this time she also grieved over With her departure from “SNL,” Strong will have plenty of venues to continue to bring her comedy to life: She has worked in film (the “Ghostbusters” reboot in 2016), and in television outside sketch comedy (Apple TV+’s “Schmigadoon!” on which she’s credited as a producer). We'll miss you, Cecily!" Strong started at the show in 2012 and quickly established herself as indispensable, co-anchoring "Weekend Update" for a brief time and gracing Studio 8H with impressions of Dianne Feinstein, Melania Trump, and news anchor Brooke Baldwin. "Saturday Night Live's" final show of 2022 doubled as a send-off for Cecily Strong, who exited amid her 11th season and as one of the longest-tenured female cast members.

Saturday Night Live" star Cecily Strong ended her final show with a serenade from "Elvis" star and "SNL" host Austin Butler, who led the cast in a rendition ...

"And I'm not just scared, because I got friends on the inside (she points to a picture of former cast members Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon in orange jumpsuits). "I think it's actually going to give me some much needed stability," Strong joked as Cathy Anne. She would go on to tell Che she is leaving to go to "prison." Strong joined "SNL" in 2012, and began co-hosting Weekend Update alongside "But, I love you Cecily." "Every time she came to work, she had a new character, or a new accent, or a new impression that would just blow you away.

The NBC show announced that Saturday's broadcast — expected to be “SNL”s “ last of 2022 — would also mark Strong's final appearance as a member of the cast. She ...

In the final sketch of the night, Kenan Thompson said goodbye to Strong — on her final day as a Radio Shack employee. Strong stars in the second season of “Schmigadoon!,” a parody of musicals that streams on Apple+. A tearful Strong hugged many of the cast on stage. she portrayed “Goober the Clown Who Had An Abortion When She Was 23” just after Texas banned abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. [“SNL” has taken on new importance for NBC](https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/saturday-night-live-nbc-tv-advertising-prices-1202588408/). Kate McKinnon did something similar in the fall of 2021, the start of her last season with the program.

Host Austin Butler helmed a sweet episode bidding adieu to 2022, and to Strong after her 11-year run on the show.

May she transition well into a New Year with better hours and a book deal and a plum role in a musical. “You’ll be doing alright, every Saturday night,” the two promised each other in makeshift lyrics, with Strong choking up, “but I’ll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas.” Thompson joined in for a verse, his voice reedy and tight with feeling. Last night, the adieu was also for those left behind.

Cecily Strong is departing Saturday Night Live after 11 seasons. Find out what happened on the star's final episode.

"She'd have a power and a joy to her performance that made you remember why you loved working at Radio Shack in the first place." In 2020 and 2021, Strong was nominated for Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on SNL. In 2014, Che replaced her as co-anchor of Weekend Update, while she focused on acting in sketches. After appearing on the show for 11 seasons, the star appeared in what was announced be her final episode as a cast member on Dec. She announced her departure on the [Kate McKinnon](https://www.eonline.com/news/kate_mckinnon) and [Aidy Bryant](https://www.eonline.com/news/aidy_bryant), who [departed the series themselves in May](https://www.eonline.com/news/1331843/pete-davidson-expected-to-leave-snl-after-8-seasons), dressed in orange prison uniforms was screened.