Without Ego Nwodim, ‘SNL’ has no Black women cast members — again

Ego Nwodim has decided to leave “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) alongside multiple other cast members and writers who are departing the flagship late-night show ahead of Season 51. 

As “SNL” goes through a major cast shake-up, Nwodim’s departure stands out because of the vacuum that it leaves: Without her, the show is set to have no Black women cast members. It’s the first time that’s been the case since before 2014, when Leslie Jones and Sasheer Zamata joined the cast.

Since “SNL” premiered in 1975, only eight of the sketch show’s 172 cast members have been Black women, Clayton Davis, the chief awards editor at Variety, pointed out in a recent column. Unless a new hire is made before Season 51 debuts in October, that number remains unchanged — and so does the show’s continued lack of representation. 

At the Emmy Awards on Sunday, “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels was asked by Nischelle Turner from “Entertainment Tonight” about his decision-making on cast changes. He said bringing in new talent is how the show revives itself.

“The show has always brought people in from different ages and different generations,” he said. “It’s always hard when people leave, but there’s a time for that. Our audiences always stay relatively young, more so now with TikTok, and change is good. The people we’re bringing in, I’m really excited about.”

While some departing cast members were let go from the show, Nwodim appeared to make the call herself. In a recent Instagram post, she said that she had decided to leave the show after “seven unforgettable seasons.” 

“I am immensely grateful to Lorne for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support, and friendship,” she said. “Week after week on that stage taught me more than I could have ever imagined.” 

After seven seasons playing fan favorites like “Lisa from Temecula” and embodying legends like Dionne Warwick with deft humor, Nwodim became known on “SNL” for embracing absurd characters and making celebrity hosts break down laughing.