Chloe Fineman has left Saturday Night Live After seven seasons. She announced the news via Instagram on Thursday.
Her departure comes ahead of the show’s 52nd season on NBC. Fineman departed after a major upheaval in the show’s cast last year, which saw the departures of Heidi Gardner, Igo Nwodim, Devon Walker, Emil Wakima, and Michael Longfellow before the start of Season 51, and Bowen Yang part way through the season. SNL It also added five distinguished players (Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Cam Patterson and Veronica Slowikowska) last season.
In announcing her departure, Feinman wrote:
After 7 amazing seasons on SNL I decided it was time for the next chapter.
It’s cliche to say this but working on SNL has been the greatest privilege of my life. I still can’t really believe I got to be a part of it. I fell in love with the place the second I walked in the door. Lorne (if you’re reading this on your burner) I want you to know that I am forever indebted to you.
Every day I was fortunate to be surrounded by the best people in the industry, and I was always amazed when I watched them work. Sewing a Jojo Siwa costume in 10 hours. Writing a cold open at 2pm on Saturday. Finishing the VFX for the video minutes before getting dressed (I don’t know if “finishing the VFX” is the correct technical term but you get the idea).
I’m certainly not the first to make this observation, but it’s really funny to look back on it all now, because on the show you’re so invested in whatever you’re working on. You cry uncontrollably when your drawing is not chosen. She storms into the producers’ office to tell them they made the biggest mistake of their lives. You call everyone you know to file a complaint. Then you look back a few years later and it was a sketch called “Lipstick for Dogs.”
But that’s just the show. You respect her so much that you give her everything you have even when she’s incredibly stupid. So, you’re thrilled when it works out, and most devastated when it doesn’t work out. In the end, it doesn’t matter much but it does matter in the moment.
It’s really hard to leave SNL but this feels like the right time. I will miss him so much. But the people who work there are my family, this place is my home, and I know I will never be far away.
And I swear to God, one day, sometime in the future, they’re going to make lipstick for dogs.
Feynman joined SNL in 2019 as a featured player and was promoted to the main cast two years later. She had a wide repertoire of impressions — ranging from Drew Barrymore to Timothée Chalamet — and appeared in a host of other sketches as well.
Outside of SNL, Fineman’s credits include Freaky Friday-Play sound Big mouth and Despicable me 4 And the upcoming Prime Video movie Red, white and royal wedding.
