‘SNL’ Departures: Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, and Aristotle Athari Out Ahead of Season 48

“Saturday Night Live” is now sans a few more stars.

After longtime cast members Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, and Kyle Mooney parted ways with the sketch comedy series earlier this year, “SNL” has now confirmed that Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, and Aristotle Athari will not be returning for the upcoming season.

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Moffat, who frequently plays Eric Trump on the series, joined the cast for Season 42 as a featured player from 2016 through 2018. He was brought on as a full-time cast member in 2018. He has since starred in “Holidate” and “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” with upcoming films “Susie Searches,” “Christmas with the Campbells,” “Jodie,” and series “Bad Monkey” in the works.

Villaseñor also became part of the “SNL” cast in Season 42, similarly starting as a featured player and along with Moffat, becoming a full time repertory player in 2018. Villaseñor started as a contestant on “America’s Got Talent” before booking “SNL.” She has since starred in “Hubie Halloween” and “F Is for Family.” Villaseñor was the show’s second Latina cast member after Noel Wells and the first to be promoted to repertory status.

Athari joined “SNL” solely for Season 47 as a featured player. His Angelo character and robot Laughintosh 3000 were standout recurring characters. The actor/director is set to star in Michael Lukk Litwak’s “Molli & Max in the Future” opposite Zosia Mamet next.

Season 47 featured the largest “SNL” cast to date with 21 stars and eight cast members. Series creator Lorne Michaels previously said that 2022 would be a “year of change” for the show.

Former stars McKinnon, Bryant, Davidson, and Mooney each marked approximately a decade with “SNL.” McKinnon went on to appear in scene-stealing turns in “Bombshell,” Peacock series “Joe vs. Carole,” and upcoming “Barbie.” Bryant, who also joined “SNL” in 2012, starred in critically acclaimed Hulu series “Shrill,” and Mooney had roles in “Arrested Development” and “Spree.” Mooney was part of the “SNL” ensemble since 2013.

Davidson is set to lead “Curb Your Enthusiasm”-inspired comedy series “Bupkis” alongside Joe Pesci and Edie Falco; the series will debut on Peacock. Davidson also will appear in Season 2 of “The Kardashians” on Hulu, charting his romance with Kim Kardashian.

The full cast for Season 48 of “SNL” has yet to be revealed. “SNL” staple Kenan Thompson previously hinted that he believes “SNL” as we know it will change drastically by Season 50.

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