Ego Nwodim Leaves ‘SNL’ After Seven Seasons of Memorable Characters

Goodbye, Lisa from Temecula. You’ll be missed.

Baltimore County native Ego Nwodim announced Friday that she is leaving Saturday Night Live after seven seasons on the iconic sketch comedy show.

“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight. But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL,” Nwodim shared in a statement on Instagram. “I am immensely grateful to Lorne [Michaels] for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, more than I could have ever imagined, and I will carry those memories (and that laughter) with me always.”

A graduate of Eastern Technical High School in Essex, Nwodim joined the show in 2018 and quickly became known for standout characters such as Rich Auntie With No Kids and Lisa from Temecula, the steak-loving dinner guest who famously broke host Pedro Pascal. Last season, her Miss Eggy character went viral after a live call-and-response sketch ended with the audience shouting a curse word in unison.

Nwodim’s career is far from slowing down. She’ll appear in Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie, set for release Sept. 26, and in Netflix’s upcoming comedy Little Brother alongside John Cena and Eric Andre.

Her departure comes as SNL heads into its 51st season with a reshuffled cast. Fellow cast members Heidi Gardner, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow, and John Higgins have also left, while Veronika Slowikowska, Kam Patterson, Jeremy Culhane, Tommy Brennan, and Ben Marshall are joining the ensemble. With Nwodim’s exit, the show no longer has a full-time Black female cast member. NBC has not commented on the change.

Raised in Towson, Nwodim has long expressed pride in her Baltimore roots. In 2023, she returned home to lead an improv workshop for local students at Baltimore Center Stage, telling Baltimore Magazine: “I always say that I feel like it’s my brag — that I’m from Baltimore.”

Her farewell statement ended on a playful note, hinting at the freedom ahead: “Now invite me to your weddings please!!!!”

Baltimore’s Ego Nwodim Exits ‘Saturday Night Live’ After Seven Seasons  was originally published on 92q.com