Emil Wakim is out at “Saturday Night Live.”
The comedian who got his start in Bloomington, Indiana, said he won’t be back when the show returns this fall.
Wakim, who joined SNL ahead of its 2024-2025 50th anniversary season, announced his exit via Instagram on Aug. 27, calling the notice of his end on the show a “gut punch.”
“i won’t be returning to snl next year. it was a gut punch of a call to get but i’m so grateful for my time there,” he posted. “i was at six flags celebrating my friends 36th birthday and went on a really emotional walk through bugs bunny park and stared out across daffy duck lake thinking about life.”
The Lebanese-American comedian, who got his start at the Comedy Attic in Bloomington, hit the national scene in 2022 when he debuted on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and was selected as a New Face of Comedy at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival.
He thanked SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels for hiring him.
“every time i scanned into the building i would think how insane it is to get to work there. it was the most terrifying, thrilling, and rewarding experience of my life and i will miss it dearly and all the brilliant people that work there that made it feel like a home. thank u to lorne for taking a chance on me and changing my life,” he wrote. “i was so lucky to bring some of myself in there and say things i believed in and i’m excited for whatever chapter comes next. here’s to making more art without compromise.”
Which SNL cast members won’t return for season 51?
Wakim, 26, is the second cast member to announce they won’t return for the show’s 51st season, which premieres Oct. 4. Earlier this week, Devon Walker announced he will not be back.
Wakim is returning to Indiana this week to perform at the Comedy Attic in Bloomington.
Contact Midwest Connect reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cjackson@gannett.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson or Bluesky: @cherylvjackson.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Emil Wakim exiting ‘Saturday Night Live.’ See who else has left before 51st season
Reporting by Cheryl V. Jackson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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