Aidy Bryant Opens Up About Her Decision to Leave ‘Saturday Night Live’

The Emmy-nominated actress and comedian Aidy Bryant has explained why she stepped away from Saturday Night Live after 10 years, revealing that she would have left a few years earlier if not for COVID.

In a recent interview with Variety, the Shrill star said, “If it weren’t for COVID, I probably would have left a few years earlier. But it was such a huge change. When COVID hit, it was so jarring that we were all like, ‘I’m definitely going to come back next year.'” She continued, “And then I had to shoot Shrill for half of last season, and so I missed a lot. And then it was like, ‘Well, now I should go back one more.'”

“I kept trying to seek one last normal year,” she added. “This year wasn’t the normal year that I hoped for, but it was closer to that. It was like, ‘OK, it’s really time now.’ And 10 felt like a nice, solid round number.”

Bryant began her run on the long-running sketch show beginning in season 38 and bowed out at the end of season 47. Her exit came at the same time that her SNL co-stars, Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, and Kyle Mooney, announced their resignations.

Describing the moment she told producer Lorne Michaels of her decision to leave, Bryant said, “I was scared because I feel close to him and so grateful to him. I didn’t want it to come off like I was leaving angrily. I am leaving with so much love. He was like, ‘I understand, and it makes sense for you.'”

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In recalling her final sketch, during the Weekend Update segment, Bryant explained, “I was worried I was going to really crack it wide open and fully be crying. It felt very joyful, and I felt incredibly fortified by having Bowen [Yang] and [Michael] Che next to me because they know me and know how considered this was for me to go.”