Leslie Jones is leaving Saturday Night Live after five seasons.MARIO ANZUONI/Reuters
Saturday Night Live cast member Leslie Jones is leaving the NBC show after five seasons, while Kate McKinnon is sticking around.
Jones’ departure was confirmed by a person familiar with the change who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss Jones’ status with the long-running sketch series.
The exit comes as Jones is branching out into other projects.
McKinnon will return for her eighth season with the show, the person said. McKinnon’s portrayals of political figures including Hillary Clinton and Jeff Sessions have become a SNL staple.
Whether departures or additions, cast changes have become a part of the comic institution’s ritual as it gets ready for another season, this time around No. 45 starting Sept. 28.
Earlier this month, Jones announced she’s doing a Netflix stand-up special. In an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, the Ghostbusters star said it’s great to be an actress but that she’s really a “hardcore” stand-up comedian.
She hasn’t abandoned acting: Jones is part of the voice cast of the recently released The Angry Birds Movie 2 and reportedly has been in discussions to join Eddie Murphy’s announced Coming to America movie sequel. Murphy is scheduled to host SNL later this year, his first time back on the show in 35 years.
Her tenure on SNL was marked by an exuberant style and portrayal of celebrities including Whoopi Goldberg, whom Jones has called an inspiration.
She started with SNL as a writer, hired after the show was criticized in 2013 for a lack of diversity, particularly the absence of an African American woman among 16 regular or featured players. Cast members Jay Pharoah, who has since left the show, and Kenan Thompson commented publicly about it and refused to dress in drag to portray black women.
Jones was promoted to cast member early in the 2014-15 season and received three Emmy nominations for her work. Her representatives did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday.