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Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah are leaving SNL

Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah are leaving SNL

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Saturday Night Live will lose two veteran cast members next month: Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah. The comedians won't be returning for SNL's 42nd season, TVLine reports. Both Killam and Pharoah have been on the show for six seasons.

Neither actor has given a reason for the departure beyond the pursuit of "other opportunities," but Killam recently revealed that his contract with SNL wasn't picked up for a seventh year. "You sign for seven years, so I had one more year," he said in an interview with Uproxx. "I had sort of had it in my head I would make this upcoming year my last year, but then heard they weren’t going to pick up my contract. I was never given a reason why, really."

Killam is known for playing characters like Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, and Matthew McConaughey, while Pharoah impersonated people like Ben Carson, Barack Obama, and Jay Z. Several new SNL cast members are expected to be announced before the new season starts next month.