Ego Nwodim left Saturday Night Live after seven seasons and is reflecting on her time on the show and her decision to exit.
In a new interview, the comedian explained the thought process she had to leave the NBC late-night sketch show.
“It’s like being in a marriage,” Nwodim said on Sherri Shepherd talk show. “I’ve never done it before, but that show was my longest relationship ever. I’m not a commitment-phobe, but I heard when you’re married, you get the seven-year itch. And it’s like, ‘I wanna date other people! I wanna see some other privates!’”
Nwodim noted that she wanted to “explore other opportunities” and was “excited for the future,” adding, “I truly did learn so much there and I had so much fun. I miss my colleagues, but it felt like the time to make space for something else for me.”
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Shepherd also brought up the point that following Nwodim’s exit, SNL would not have a Black woman among the cast. Having been on the show for seven seasons, Nwodim said she “felt honored to be the seventh Black woman in the cast,” adding, “I hope that there will be more Black women. Punkie Johnson came on the show after me. Who knows who else they’ll find as they explore and seek out other talents, but I felt honored to represent for us.”
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“And I do believe I represented a myriad of characters, different types of characters — some people didn’t always catch that nuance, but I do feel like I got the chance to represent and that was really important to me.”
Nwodim announced she was leaving SNL in an Instagram past ahead of the Season 51 premiere.
“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight,” she said. “But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL. I am immensely grateful to Lorne [Michaels] for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support, and friendship. Week after week on that stage taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and I will carry those memories, and that laughter, with me always.”
Although not on SNL, Nwodim has kept busy hosting her podcast Thanks Dad, in which she recently had former co-star Heidi Gardner as a guest. Nwodim also landed a gig for later this November in which she will performing stand-up at Lincoln Center Theater’s Claire Tow Theater as part of The Comedy Series lineup.
Deadline reported on November 5 that Nwodim will be part of the cast of the new Hulu series Not Suitable for Work, in which she would share credits with Ella Hunt, Avantika, Will Angus, Jack Martin, Nicholas Duvernay, Constance Wu, Victor Garber, Emilia Suárez, Michael Benjamin Washington, among others.
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Watch Nwodim’s full interview in the video below.