Leslie Jones is set to leave Saturday Night Live after five seasons. The news was reported by multiple trade publications on Tuesday, including Variety, who says that she is set to “explore film projects and has a Netflix comedy special scheduled.”
Over the past several years Jones has become more and more active in films. Just recently, she booked a key role in Coming 2 America.
She first got her start as a writer on Saturday Night Live before rising to a featured player. Jones goes down in history as just one of the few Black women to ever be a regular on the show. Her hiring came at a time when the show seemingly tried to increase diversity. She was also one of Saturday Night Live‘s oldest cast members, joining when she was 46.
Meanwhile, Kenan Thompson has been confirmed to return for the sketch series’ upcoming 45th season. He’s returning despite having a primetime sitcom on the air next year, as his schedule allows him to film both, at least for now.
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Photo: Getty Images/NBCU Photo Bank
