Cecily Strong Exits ‘SNL’ After 11 Seasons: Watch Her Goodbye

The top of an period! Cecily Sturdy has introduced her Saturday Night time Dwell exit after 11 years as a solid member.

“I’m a bit of emo tonight as a result of, [the] reality is, I’m right here to say goodbye,” the Schmigadoon! alum, 38, advised Michael Che in the course of the Saturday, December 17, “Weekend Replace” section, reprising her character of Cathy Anne.

Whereas Sturdy’s chain-smoking character famous that she can be going to “jail” for her previous actions, it prompted the This Will All Be Over Quickly creator to replicate on her personal comedic tenure on the NBC sequence. “I believe it’s truly going to offer me some much-needed stability,” she quipped to Che, 39. “And I’m not simply scared as a result of I’ve bought buddies on the within, they appear to be doing OK.”

Cecily Strong Exits 'Saturday Night Live' After 11 Seasons: Some of the ‘Best Moments of My Life’

Anchor Michael Che and Cecily Sturdy as Cathy Anne throughout SNL’s ‘Weekend Replace’ on December 17, 2022.
Will Heath/NBC

SNL then flashed photos of Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon, who each departed SNL throughout season 47, to a roaring spherical of applause.

“It’s OK, you already know? I had a great run,” Sturdy added on Saturday, joking about her character’s fictional relationship with Che. “I met you, we fell in love [and] we made a intercourse tape. … And Colin [Jost], don’t suppose I forgot about you. Right here’s a pic of you and I doing ‘Replace’ collectively!”

She continued: “Everybody has to go to jail in some unspecified time in the future, proper? It’s simply my time now, however I had loads of enjoyable right here and I really feel actually fortunate that I bought to have so most of the greatest moments of my life on this place with these folks that I like a lot. … ‘There’s no place like house,’ and there’s no house just like the place I’ve gotten to yell outdoors Michael Che’s window.”

The Emmy Award nominee first joined SNL in 2012, the place she was tapped to hitch former solid member Seth Meyers on the “Weekend Replace” desk. After Meyers, 48, left the present, she continued to helm the information section alongside Jost, 40. In 2014’s season 40, Sturdy returned to carry out in SNL sketches when Che joined the “Weekend Replace” staff.

“I believe it was simply the magic of attending to do a stay efficiency as a result of I’m not identified for having good goal,” Sturdy advised USA As we speak in August 2021 of nailing superstar impressions on the variability present. “I don’t suppose anybody has ever stated that about me earlier than. My favourite factor about doing SNL is these moments of managed chaos.”

She added on the time: “I like [my sketches] ‘Singing Sisters’ [and] ‘Debra’s Time.’ I simply went to [Alan Cumming’s] Membership Cumming after the ‘Schmigadoon’ premiere and one of many guys got here up and stated, ‘You understand, we sing ‘Debra’s Time’ right here once in a while.’ Listening to that simply makes me so glad.”

Cecily Strong Exits 'Saturday Night Live' After 11 Seasons: Some of the ‘Best Moments of My Life’
NBC

Throughout Sturdy’s remaining SNL episode on Saturday, costar Kenan Thompson additionally shared a candy tribute to his longtime colleague.

“Actually, I don’t suppose Radio Shack may have survived this lengthy with out Cecily,” the Kenan & Kel alum, 44, famous within the “Blue Christmas” sketch, which noticed the solid members play staff on the tech retailer. “Each time she got here to work, she had a brand new character or a brand new accent or a brand new impression that will blow you away. She’d have an influence and a pleasure to her efficiency that made you bear in mind why you really liked working at Radio Shack within the first place! I do know I’m not purported to say this as your boss, however I like you, Cecily.”

Thompson went on to introduce episode host Austin Butler, who serenaded Sturdy with an acoustic rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas.”

Saturday Night time Dwell airs on NBC Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET.

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