Photo Credit:Sean Zanni/Getty
Devon Walker is closing his chapter on _Saturday Night Live_. The comedian confirmed on August 25 that he is leaving the NBC sketch show after three seasons, just weeks before its Season 51 premiere on October 4.
In an Instagram post captioned, “me and baby broke up ,” the 34-year-old reflected on his time at _SNL_. He compared the job to relationships, writing, “Jobs in this industry feel like a bunch of little marriages. Some of ‘em last for a long time if we’re lucky, but most of them are fleeting. Permanent until they’re not. That’s the deal. You know what it is when you sign up.”
Walker, who joined the show in 2022 as a featured player and was promoted ahead of the milestone 50th season, admitted his experience was mixed. “Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell,” he shared. “But we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a f----d up lil family.”
He emphasized the close connection he built with fellow comedians Gary Richardson and Alex English, noting how their journey from hosting small
bar shows eventually led them to perform together at 30 Rock.
The comedian also looked ahead to what’s next. “Anyway, I’m bout to go to Japan. When I get back I’m tryna be in a prestige drama. Ideally something with Julianne Moore,” he joked. He added on Instagram Stories that the exit was “good news,” noting, “It was just time for me to do something different please don’t be hitting me with the ‘I’m so sorry’ we not on that at ALL.”
Walker leaves at a moment of transition for _SNL_. Show creator Lorne Michaels recently suggested that more casting shake-ups are on the way,
admitting he feels “the pressure to reinvent” the long-running series. Kenan Thompson, the longest-running cast member, also suggested that fans should brace for “a lot of change next year.”