Ego Nwodim spoke about his time on Saturday Night Live and his decision to leave the late-night series ahead of its 51st season.
On Wednesday’s episode of “Shelly,” Sherri Shepherd pointed out that there were no longer Blask women on the “SNL” cast and asked Nwodim if she felt “the weight of all that representation” during her time on the show.
“I don’t know if you would call it weight. I was honored to be the seventh black woman in that cast,” Nwodim responded. “I wish there were more Black women. After me, Punky Johnson came on the show. As they explore and seek out other talent, who knows who else they’ll find.”
“I believe I have represented a myriad of characters, many different types of characters,” she continued. “Some people didn’t necessarily understand the nuances of it, but I felt like I had an opportunity to represent, and that was really important to me.”
Nwodim joined SNL as a featured contestant in Season 44 of 2018, and was promoted to the main cast in Season 48 of 2020, appearing for a total of seven seasons. Speaking about her departure, she said, “It’s like being married. I’ve never been on that show, but that show was the longest relationship I’ve ever been in. I’m not a commitment phobe, but I heard that when you get married, you get frustrated for seven years. Also, I want to date other people! I want to see other people’s private lives! I’m like!”
“For me, it felt like it was time to make space for something else,” Nwodim added.
