Saturday Night Live is going to be in need of new talent for its next season, as Vanessa Bayer has just announced via Instagram that she is leaving the show after a seven-year arc.
This (honestly devastating) news comes on the heels of the announcement that cast regular Bobby Moynihan is leaving the show, and we are hoping and praying that the list stops there. In wake of the cast shake-ups after regular Kristen Wiig departed the show, Bayer did a lot to bring heart and humor to the masses in a transitional period for the audience. She was promoted from featured player to repertory player after Wiig left, largely due to her Miley Cyrus impersonation, Deadline reports.
Bayer is known for her reprised roles as Rachel from Friends, Jacob the bar mitzvah boy, Laura Parsons, kid reporter, Tostino’s pizza rolls wife, and more. She is such an integral part of the show that it’s difficult to imagine how the showrunners will fill her much-beloved, quirky shoes.
She has been dipping her toes in acting recently with roles in Train Wreck, Portlandia, and Office Christmas Party, so we hope to see her in some capacity soon.
“Thank you SNL for 7 years of laughs, love and incredible memories,” she posted as her Instagram caption once the news broke, “It has been a dream come true. And thanks for this goodbye sketch at the table, Colin.” The Instagram photo is of a parody song Jost must have written for her, including the lyrics: “She’s the funniest, sunniest/Person you’ll see.” Sounds spot-on to us.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUUvoanF_Hh/
In her honor, here are a few of Vanessa’s best moments on the show.
