Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim exited Saturday Night Live ahead of the Season 51 premiere on NBC.
Gardner had been on the late-night sketch show for eight seasons while Nwodim, who was initially expected to return, announced her exit following seven seasons.
The SNL alum recently recalled their time on the show, revealing it was a “challenging place” to work.
Gardner made an appearance on Nwodim’s Thanks Dad podcast, where they revealed they shared a dressing room and formed a friendship.
“It’s not the easiest place to work, but you were such a huge gift, and I absolutely adore and love you,” Nwodim told Gardner.
Nwodim recalled a situation on the show where she had “two sketches on or something,” and noticed Gardner was “frustrated about something.” Nwodim recalled Gardner telling her, “I want you to know I’m frustrated, but I’m happy for you.”
“I love you so much, and I am so honored that we worked so hard there,” Gardner added. “And then we also worked on our friendship so hard, which wasn’t hard, by the way.”
Gardner acknowledged that as humans “we have egos” and “want things for ourselves” and “we want to succeed,” adding, “And there weren’t a lot of times when we were able to succeed in the way we wanted at the exact same time.”
Nwodim said that she hoped they could be “winning together” so they could have a “full celebration and not one of us mourning or frustrated.”
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Gardner recalled Nwodim having “the moment of the year” when Gardner’s “hero” Jack Black hosted the show in 2024, which made her feel a type of way.
“There’s a part of me, like if I think about it, I’m like, wait, but I should want that for me. But you had it and it was f**king awesome,” Gardner said.
Nwodim added, “It’s so easy to be caught up with your own stuff at SNL, and what you’re getting on and what you’re not getting on, and how you’re succeeding and how you wish you were doing better, or how I want what that person has.”
Nwodim praised Gardner, saying there was “nobody like you,” and adding, “You were just such a light in what can be such a challenging place to so many people. And that’s just where you stood, and you worked from love, and you came from love. I feel honored to have been there at the same time as you. And I feel honored to have gotten the gift of a best friend out of it.”
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As part of her departing message, Nwodim shared on social media in September, she said, “I am immensely grateful to Lorne [Michaels] for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support, and friendship. Week after week on that stage taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and I will carry those memories, and that laughter, with me always.”
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