Live from New York, it’s Chloe Fineman closing the curtain. The comedian announced that she’s leaving Saturday Night Live after “seven wonderful seasons” on the late-night variety show. “I have decided it’s time for my next chapter,” she wrote on Instagram on July 16. Fineman is the first cast member to depart ahead of Season 52.
Fineman, 37, joined SNL as a featured player at the start of Season 45 in 2019 and was promoted to repertory status in 2021. She quickly became known for her razor-sharp celebrity impressions, with her roster including Drew Barrymore, Britney Spears, Nicole Kidman, Timothée Chalamet, JoJo Siwa, and Melania Trump. Her home-produced segments during the pandemic’s remote episodes showcased her impersonation skills and became her calling card.
Beyond impressions, she anchored viral sketches like Snack Homiez, Forever 31, and the Domingo series alongside Marcello Hernandez. During Season 51, she became the longest-tenured female cast member following the departures of Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim.
In her Instagram announcement, Fineman reflected on the emotional rollercoaster of working at SNL. She described the chaos with humor: “Sewing a JoJo Siwa costume in 10 hours. Writing a cold open at 2pm on a Saturday.” She also detailed the heartbreak of rejection. “You sob uncontrollably when your sketch isn’t picked. You storm into a producer’s office telling them they just made the biggest mistake of their lives. And then you look back a few years later and it was a sketch called ‘lipstick for thicc dogs'”.
She expressed deep gratitude to Lorne Michaels, calling him out with a wink: “Lorne (if you’re reading this on your burner account) I want you to know that I am forever in your debt.” She added, “The people who work there are my family and that place is my home, and I know I’ll never be too far away”.
Following the standard trajectory for SNL cast members, Fineman is already eyeing her next chapter. She is in negotiations to join the Netflix drama series Myron Bolitar, inspired by Harlan Coben’s book series. She recently starred in Summer of 69, Freakier Friday, and Megalopolis. After seven seasons of giving SNL absolutely everything, she leaves as one of the show’s standout performers of the modern era.
