The exodus at Saturday Night Live looks far from over with beloved cast member Bill Hader announcing he will leave the show after eight seasons.
Hader, whose wildly popular characters include “Stefon” and “Vinny Vedecci” told the New York Times he would leave the NBC franchise when the season ends on Saturday.
“It was a hard decision, but it has to happen at some point,” Hader told the Times.
“It got to a point where I said, ‘Maybe it’s just time to go.’”
Hader, 34, joined SNL in 2005 and his deft impersonations, including of those of James Carville, John Boehner, Julian Assange and Clint Eastwood made him a crowd favorite.
He earned an Emmy nomination last year for his work on the show and it’s believed Hader will turn his attention to movies.
The announcement is another major loss for SNL after head writer Seth Meyers confirmed he will replace Jimmy Fallon at “Late Night” next year.
Longtime cast members Fred Armisen and Jason Sudeikis are also said to be considering leaving SNL.
SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels said Armisen and Sudeikis hadn’t made up their minds yet.
“I don’t think so. I think they’re making their decisions and we’ll know soon enough.”