Chris Redd exits 'SNL' after five years amid cast departures

Washington [US], September 20 (ANI): Comedian Chris Redd is the most recent cast member to leave the NBC programme 'SNL' amid cast departure controversy.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, 'Saturday Night Live' aka 'SNL' will be down another veteran cast member when its 48th season premieres. Chris Redd, who has worked on the programme since 2017, is departing. He exits the long-running NBC sketch show as the eighth cast member before the premiere of season 48 on October 1.
"Being a part of SNL has been the experience of a lifetime," Redd said in a statement. "Five years ago, I walked into 30 Rock knowing that this was an amazing opportunity for growth. Now, with friends who have become family and memories I will cherish forever, I'm grateful to Lorne Michaels and to the entire SNL organization. From the bottom of my heart, I can't thank you all enough."
Before starting season 45 in 2019, Redd was elevated to the main cast after joining Saturday Night Live as a featured player in the 2017-18 season. For the song, "Come Back Barack," which he co-wrote with colleagues lyricists Kenan Thompson and Will Stephen and composer Eli Brueggemann, he received an Emmy in 2018 for outstanding music and lyrics.
Thompson and Redd co-starred in the NBC drama series Kenan, which was cancelled earlier this year after two seasons and was produced by Michaels. He also appears in Peacock's Bust Down, a six-episode run that ended in March with no indication of the show's future.
Later this year, he'll star in the comedy special, Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This? on HBO Max, and he has a role in the upcoming Cyber Monday film from Universal. He also contributed to the creation of and will play the lead role in a Broadway Video and Audible production.
Season 47 regulars Michael Che, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Colin Jost, Ego Nwodim, Cecily Strong, Thompson, and Bowen Yang, as well as featured performers Andrew Dismukes, James Austin Johnson, Punkie Johnson, and Sarah Sherman, are still on the cast as of the time of publication. SNL has yet to announce which cast members will return for season 48 formally. Additionally, featured players Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker have been added to the programme.
SNL's 48th season is scheduled to begin on October 1. The musical guest and host have not yet been made public. (ANI)