Heidi Gardner (Photo: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal)
Heidi Gardner’s exit from Saturday Night Live after eight years on the show’s cast may not have been voluntary.
The New York Post is reporting that Gardner’s contract was not renewed for Season 51 as part of the show’s larger cast shake-up. “It’s time for a new cast,” an insider told the outlet.
The Post notes that Dana Carvey said as much on his Fly on the Wall podcast yesterday, telling co-host David Spade that “from what I know as of this recording, it was not her idea to leave.” Carvey admitted he was “really surprised” when he heard Gardner would not be returning, praising her range and “likability” as a performer.
Gardner’s departure was first reported last week, following the exits of fellow cast members Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, and Emil Wakim. Five new featured players have since been added for the upcoming season.
Gardner has not publicly commented on her exit.
In an appearance on Craig Ferguson’s podcast earlier this year, Gardner said that she had begun to think about life after SNL, explaining that sketch ideas weren’t coming to her as easily as before. Still, the Post’s reporting suggests the ultimate call was not hers.
Gardner leaves the show with 159 episodes and more than 600 sketches to her name. In recent years, she has booked guest roles in You, Shrinking, and Girls5eva, as well as films like Adam Sandler’s Hustle and the upcoming Will Ferrell comedy Judgment Day. She also recently shot the indie feature Transcending in her hometown of Kansas City.