Saturday Night Live cast members Alex Moffat, Melissa Villasenor and Aristotle Athari are leaving

Saturday Night Live cast members Alex Moffat, Melissa Villasenor and Aristotle Athari all depart ahead of season 48

  • Moffat and Villaseñor joined the show as featured players back in 2016
  • Athari was only on the show as a featured player for one season
  • Their departures follow exits from Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon and others
  • SNL talent producer Lindsay Shookus left earlier in August

The cast of Saturday Night Live will look significantly different when season 48 premieres later in the fall.

Regular cast members Alex Moffat and Melissa Villaseñor have both left the long-running sketch comedy series, according to Deadline on Thursday, along with featured play Aristotle Athari.

Their departure will significantly change the makeup of the cast following the earlier departures of Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon and Kyle Mooney.

Out the door: SNL cast member Alex Moffat is leaving the show after joining in 2016; seen in November 2021

Leaving: His costar Melissa Villaseñor will also depart. She started at the same time on the series; seen in November 2021

Out the door: SNL cast members Alex Moffat (L), Melissa Villaseñor (R) and featured player Aristotle Atari are leaving the series, according to Deadline on Thursday

Both Moffat and Villaseñor joined the SNL cast as featured players in 2016, before joining the main cast of repertory players two years later.

Moffat was a regular guest with Colin Jost and Michael Che on Weekend Update as Guy Who Just Bought a Boat, and he also played a particularly dim-witted version of Eric Trump.

He also stared as President Joe Biden for a time, before current featured player James Austin Johnson took over the role.

Villaseñor had fewer recurring roles, though she appeared in the show’s political sketches as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

One and done: Athari joined the featured players back in the fall of 2021 along with Johnson and Sarah Sherman, but he never gained as much screen time as the other two; seen in November 2021

One and done: Athari joined the featured players back in the fall of 2021 along with Johnson and Sarah Sherman, but he never gained as much screen time as the other two; seen in November 2021

Regulars: Moffat regularly played Guy Who Bought a Boat, Eric Trump and even Joe Biden for a time; still from SNL featuring Alec Baldwin

Regulars: Moffat regularly played Guy Who Bought a Boat, Eric Trump and even Joe Biden for a time; still from SNL featuring Alec Baldwin

She has worked for years as an in-demand voice actor for animated shows, and her facility with odd voices was also put to use on SNL. 

Villaseñor, who telegraphed her departure by sharing memories from her time on the series earlier in August, will be heading out on a stand-up tour starting in October.

Both comics joined the cast at the same time as Mikey Day, who is apparently sticking around.

Athari joined the featured players back in the fall of 2021 along with Johnson and Sarah Sherman, but he never gained as much screen time as the other two.

So far, SNL and NBC haven’t commented on the latest round of departures.

Moving on: Villaseñor, who telegraphed her departure by sharing memories from her time on the series earlier in August, will be heading out on a stand-up tour starting in October; seen with Cecily Strong (L)

Moving on: Villaseñor, who telegraphed her departure by sharing memories from her time on the series earlier in August, will be heading out on a stand-up tour starting in October; seen with Cecily Strong (L)

Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant and Kyle Mooney previously left the series at the conclusion of season 47 in the spring.

New cast members and the returning crop of stars are typically announced a few weeks before the start of the season, though a season 48 premiere date hasn’t been announced yet.

Senior producer Lindsay Shookus, who had worked on the show in some capacity since 2002, also left the show earlier in August.

After being promoted to a full producer, she took over the talent department and was in charge of booking the show’s hosts and musical guests, along with searching for future cast members. 

Big change: The trio of departures follows Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant and Kyle Mooney leaving after the end of season 47; Moffat and Villaseñor pictured in 2017 in NYC

Big change: The trio of departures follows Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant and Kyle Mooney leaving after the end of season 47; Moffat and Villaseñor pictured in 2017 in NYC

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