SNL Star Kate McKinnon's Surprising Farewell Plan Revealed

In October 2025, former Saturday Night Live cast member Kate McKinnon opened up about her original plan for a memorable farewell when she exited the show in 2022 after a decade-long run. McKinnon explained that her initial pitch involved a character named Sheila Sovage, a barfly, who would have "tongued" every single cast member in a line. However, she ultimately decided to go with a more meaningful alien-themed sketch instead.

McKinnon, who held the record for the longest-serving female SNL cast member, described the experience of leaving the show as "very emotional," as it had been "everything" to her, and the cast members were "everything" to her. During her time on the show, McKinnon was known for her impressive impersonations of public figures like Hillary Clinton, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Kellyanne Conway, earning her nine Emmy nominations, two of which she won.

Despite her success, McKinnon admitted that the decision to leave SNL was not an easy one, as it was something she had wanted to do her "whole life." However, she felt that it was time to move on, as her "body was tired." In her final moments on the show, McKinnon's character, Colleen Rafferty, a woman who always has a comically bad encounter with aliens, agreed to go with the extraterrestrials permanently, waving goodbye to the audience.