Saturday Night Live has lost another fan-favorite cast member overnight in Emil Wakim, who first joined the famed sketch comedy show in 2022. The sad news comes just a day after another SNL star, Devon Walker, announced he had been let go from the series. Emil took to Instagram to share an update with his fans alongside a series of photos from the set, revealing that he had been fired in a shake-up headed by SNL creator Lorne Michaels.
Saying goodbye
“I won’t be returning to SNL next year. It was a gut-punch of a call to get but I’m so grateful for my time there,” Emil wrote in the caption. “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.”
“Every time I scanned into the building I would think how insane it is to get to work there,” he continued. “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 u [sic] to Lorne for taking a chance on me and changing my life.”
“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. Onwards and upwards. Love u [sic], Emil.” The star included a photo of himself on the famed Weekend Update desk, one with a live llama backstage, and a shot of him with his SNL staff badge.
© InstagramThe 27-year-old’s fans took to the comment section to share in his sadness and praised him for representing the Middle Eastern community in the comedy space. “Damn. But you’ll be a star anywhere you go,” said a supporter, while another added, “Whaaaaaat!!!! Your sketches were so funny and having some Middle Eastern representation in the show was really refreshing. Their loss. Onward and upward.” He was the first cast member of Lebanese descent to join the show.
© Instagram“You’re a brilliant comic and have so much to say. Huge accomplishment to have done the show and will be one of many, many achievements in your career,” shared another, while a fourth simply said, “Massive loss for SNL.” Comedian Nikki Glaser chimed in, “You made a mark on that show that will not be forgotten,” while his former SNL co-star Jane Wickline added, “Love you so much.”
Shaking it up
© Variety via Getty ImagesLorne, 80, recently revealed that he was changing up the cast of SNL ahead of the show’s 51st season, which is set to return on October 4. When asked whether he felt “pressure to reinvent this season” in an interview with Puck, he replied, “Yeah, for sure. It’ll be announced in a week or so.”
© Variety via Getty ImagesDevon Walker was also let go after three seasons and shared a message with fans on Instagram upon his exit. “To me, jobs in this industry feel like a bunch of little marriages,” he began. “Some of ’em last for a long time if we’re lucky, but most of them are fleeting. Permanent until they’re not. That’s the deal. You know what it is when you sign up.”
© Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images“Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool,” he added. “Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a [expletive] up lil family.”
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