Jason Sudeikis confirms 'SNL' exit
- Jason Sudeikis is exiting %27SNL%27 after 10 seasons
- He follows Bill Hader and Fred Armisen out of NBC%27s Studio 8H
- He played Mitt Romney during 2012 election campaign
NBC's Saturday Night Live has one more spot to fill for its 39th season this fall.
Jason Sudeikis confirmed he's leaving the cast after 10 seasons, including two as a writer.
In an appearance tonight on CBS' Late Show With David Letterman, he's asked about how long he'd stay on the sketch-comedy staple, and Sudeikis replied, "I'm definitely done; I'm not coming back in the fall."
His exit is not a surprise, though as recently as a few weeks ago, NBC insiders maintained they were still hoping to get Sudeikis to stay. But he joins a parade of performers on the exit ramp that will be difficult to replace: Bill Hader and Fred Armisen's departures were made clear in May's season finale, and head writer and Weekend Update anchor Seth Meyers will leave around year-end for a late-night talk show, due in February. Kristen Wiig also left in 2012.
Sudeikis, 37, appeared on camera for eight seasons and spent two before that as a writer. He was planning to depart in 2012 but producer Lorne Michaels convinced him to stay on so he could play presidential candidate Mitt Romney during the presidential election season.
Asked about the typical trajectory of an SNL cast member, he joked, "Can I make this sketch last 90 minutes and turn it into a movie? Probably not."