Why is Kyle Mooney leaving Saturday Night Live after season 47 finale?
If you missed some of the recent news, Mooney is one of a handful of longtime cast members reportedly exiting the show tonight. For those wondering, this list also includes the likes of Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, and Kate McKinnon. All four of them have been around for a substantial length of time; all SNL cast members tend to sign on for six or seven seasons, at least, for the very start. It’s one of the ways the show has been able to retain talent.
Out of all the departures tonight, Mooney’s is perhaps the most fascinating from a story arc perspective. Kyle never broke out on the show the same way the other rumored departing cast members did. A lot of that is due to his own comedic sensibilities. He’s more offbeat and his style of humor never quite fit in with the bold, bombastic nature of the rest of the show. Many of his pre-tapes over the years were cut for time, and some of his most-known Weekend Update characters like Bruce Chandling (seen above) and Baby Yoda are super polarizing.
So why is Kyle leaving at this point? We think that a lot of it comes down to him just wanting to try some other things. He has a platform now to show off more of his own brand of comedy, and he probably knew on some level that he didn’t always mesh well with what the was trying to do. He’s brilliant, but he needs a Showtime series or something else that he can tackle material that is a little more surreal and bizarre. We’re going to miss Kyle on SNL — there won’t be another cast member like him down the road.
Are you bummed that Kyle Mooney is seemingly leaving Saturday Night Live after the season 47 finale?
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