Emil Wakim Not Returning to SNL for Season 51: ‘It Was a Gut Punch of a Call to Get’

Date:2025-08-28 00:03:50 Category:entertainment Views:1 Comment:0

Emil Wakim is the latest Saturday Night Live cast member to announce that they won’t be returning for Season 51.

“It was a gut punch of a call to get, but I’m so grateful for my time there,” Wakim wrote Wednesday on Instagram. “I was at Six Flags celebrating my friend’s 36th birthday and went on a really emotional walk through Bugs Bunny Park and stared out across Daffy Duck Lake thinking about life.”

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Reflecting on his one season as a featured player, Wakim wrote, “Every time I scanned into the building, I would think how insane it is to get to work there. It was the most terrifying, thrilling and rewarding experience of my life, and I will miss it dearly and all the brilliant people that work there that made it feel like a home. Thank you to Lorne for taking a chance on me and changing my life.”

Wakim concluded: “I was so lucky to bring some of myself in there and say things I believed in and I’m excited for whatever chapter comes next. Here’s to making more art without compromise.”

See Wakim’s full Instagram post below:

This announcement comes just two days after Devon Walker revealed that his time at SNL was also over after three seasons. Along with Walker and Wakim, SNL’s Season 50 cast included Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Marcello Hernández, James Austin Johnson, Colin Jost, Michael Longfellow, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang, with featured players Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline.

Were you hoping Wakim would get more time on SNL? Drop a comment with your thoughts on his exit below.