Kate McKinnon shocked fans when it was announced that she would be leaving SNL at the end of season 47. Fans have been wondering: why did she decide to leave the show? Kate revealed the reason behind her decision during the July 22 edition of LIVE With Kelly & Ryan.
“I thought about it for a very long time, and it was very, very hard,” she said. “All I ever wanted to do in my whole life was be on Saturday Night Live. So, I did, I loved it, I had the best decade, and then I was just like, my body was tired, and I felt like it was time.”
Kate exited the long-running series with Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, and Pete Davidson. Their last appearance as cast members on the show was the May 21 finale episode. Kate notably reprised the iconic character Colleen Rafferty, the woman who talks about being abducted by aliens while be interrogated by the government.
The actress, who won 2 Emmys for her performance on SNL, still has so much love for the show despite her departure. “I don’t know that I can watch the show yet because it’s just too emo because I miss everyone so much. I mean, it’s my family,” she continued. “It’s a little … it’s too emo. So, I think I’m just going to tape The Bachelorette and watch it.”
There has been speculation for years about Kate leaving the show. She’s been a rising Hollywood star in the comedy world, but she didn’t make the call to leave SNL until 2022.
Kate has already lined up two major post-SNL gigs. She’ll star alongside Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in the upcoming Barbie movie, which will hit theaters on July 21, 2023. She is also set to play Grunhilda in The Lunch Witch movie.