‘SNL’ Comedian Ego Nwodim Shockingly Exits After 7 Seasons

Lisa from Temecula has left the building.

Ego Nwodim, who played the fan-favorite character on SNL, announced Friday she will not return to the NBC sketch series for an eighth season.

“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight. But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL. I am immensely grateful to Lorne [Michaels] for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support, and friendship,” Nwodim shared in an Instagram Story on Friday, Sept. 12.

“Week after week on that stage taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and I will carry those memories, and that laughter, with me always. Now, invite me to your weddings please!!!” she added sarcastically.

Related: ‘SNL’ Star Kenan Thompson Says Season 51 Will Bring ‘A Lot of Change’

Nwodim joined the NBC sketch series as a featured player in 2018, and was elevated to regular cast member in 2020.

She played everyone from Dionne Warwick to Janet Jackson.

Warwick posted a goodbye note on the X platform Friday and included a picture of the two together. The music legend wrote in the caption: “Congratulations on seven wonderful seasons. Love, Dionne.”

Nwodim’s personal characters “Lisa from Temecula” and “Veronda rich auntie with no kids” got millions of views on YouTube.

She is the fifth SNL cast member to leave the show in recent weeks ahead of season 51, which premieres on Oct. 4.

Devon Walker said goodbye in an Instagram post on Aug. 25 after three seasons.

Emil Wakim announced in an Aug. 27 Instagram post that he received a call saying he was being let go.

Michael Longfellow wrote on Instagram Aug. 28 that he was not invited back for a fourth season.

That same day, Variety reported Heidi Gardner was leaving after 8 seasons.

Writer Celeste Yim additionally announced she was exiting the show in an Aug. 24 Instagram post.

Earlier this month, SNL announced five featured players are joining the cast for the new season.

Nwodim’s departure leaves the late-night show without a single Black female comic after Leslie Jones left in 2019 and Punkie Johnson departed in 2024.

While SNL has a history of helping to elevate the profiles of Black male comics like Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, Garrett Morris, and JB Smoove, who was a writer and performer, its track record with Black women has been spotty.

A Friday report in Variety said of the 172 comedians on the show since creator Lorne Michaels launched it in 1975, only eight of those comics have been Black women.

Yvonne Hudson joined the show in 1980 and Danitra Vance followed in 1985. Both only lasted one season.

Armageddon actress Ellen Cleghorne appeared on the series from 1991 to 1995, and was the first Black woman to make it past the first season.

Maya Rudolph was a cast member from 2000 to 2007. She has since become one of the most successful comics to ever appear on the show, with six Emmy Awards, and roles in the films Bridesmaids, Disenchanted, If, Sisters, 50 First Dates, and the animated Angry Birds movies. Rudolph currently leads the cast of the Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ series Loot, as a divorced billionaire.

Sasheer Zamata appeared on SNL from 2014 to 2017. Since then, she’s had parts on several TV shows, including Tracy Morgan’s The Last O.G.

Leslie Jones was part of the cast from 2014 to 2019, and became a breakout star for her range of characters, including as Gayle King in a re-enactment of R. Kelly’s infamous interview with the CBS news anchor just before he was tried and convicted for sex crimes. The Emmy-nominated Jones went on to roles in the films Ghostbusters, Coming 2 America, and the Paramount+ comedy Good Burger 2 with Keenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell.

Punkie Johnson appeared on the series from 2020 to 2024. She most recently had a recurring role on Showtime crime drama The Chi.

Ego Nwodim has two upcoming projects listed on her IMDb page, including the film Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie alongside SNL alum Kristen Wiig, and Little Brother with John Cena, Michelle Monaghan, and Christopher Meloni.