Punkie Johnson Explains Why She Left 'Saturday Night Live' After Four Seasons: 'I Didn't Really Feel Like I Fit'

The comedian joined the cast in 2020.

August 23, 2024

Punkie Johnson sat for an interview. — NBC via Getty Images

Punkie Johnson recently announced she would not be returning to Saturday Night Live for its 50th season, and now the comedian has revealed what led to her decision.

In an appearance on David Spade and Dana Carvey's Fly on the Wall podcast, Johnson spoke about her four seasons on the long-running sketch comedy show and suggested that she almost quit ahead of Season 49. "I talked to my team. I was like, 'Look, I don't really know if I belong at this job, so maybe I should step away,'" she told the SNL veterans. "But I told them super, super late, like right after I found out I got to go back. And it was like, 'Well Punkie, you need a plan. You can't just quit your job.'"

She doesn't regret the decision to stay on for Season 49, because she had a "tremendous" time during the first half of the season. "I think I got like three or four sketches on [in] the first half," she continued. "And usually I only get maybe two or three on the entire season, so I'm like, 'Oh man, I'm killing it. Like, this is my season.'"

When her frequent collaborator Ben Silva, who would write sketches with her, departed, however, she began to doubt whether she should stick around. "If I was telling him something, he knew how to put it in SNL format for me," she said. "If I try to put it in SNL format, that's the hard part."

Johnson, who joined the cast in 2020, concluded that Season 49 would be her last. "I didn't really feel like I fit, like I didn't feel like that was my zone," she said. "That show is for a different type of person. I came from standup so I just thought everybody else came from standup. I started having conversations with people and everybody was like, 'Oh yeah, we went to school for this.' I'm like, 'Y'all went to school to be here?!'" She made history as the first openly queer Black woman in the SNL cast.

Thankfully, she said that she's gotten plenty of opportunities since leaving the cast. She confirmed her departure during a stand-up show last month and uploaded a video officially announcing the decision on Aug. 1. She said there was "no bad blood" or "bridges burned," and she's "so grateful" for the experience. "That's still my people, I love them," she said.

Johnson isn't alone in her decision to depart SNL ahead of Season 50.

Molly Kearney, the first non-binary cast member, said that they would not be returning when the show starts up again next month. "That's a wrap on my time on SNL!" they announced. "Reflecting on the amazing 2 seasons I got on this show, it was such a dream come true. So incredibly grateful for this period in my life."

Like Johnson, Kearney has a background in stand-up.

It's unclear if any other cast members are expected ahead of Season 50, but there's still time for the show to announce some surprise departures or some additions to the cast.