Saturday Night Live star Cecily Strong has revealed why she quit Weekend Update in 2014 after hosting the segment for just one season. Strong has been with the legendary live comedy show since season 38 and joined The legendary Weekend Update segment the next season. Weekend Update is usually hosted by the head writer on the show, most often alongside another cast member. It forms the central satirical segment of the show, giving audiences a break from the sketches. Past hosts include Tina Fey, Chevy Chase, Amy Poehler, and Jimmy Fallon.
Strong first hosted alongside Seth Meyers for his last 12 episodes before he left to host Late Night and was replaced by Colin Jost, with Strong hosting alongside Jost for the rest of the season. However, at the end of season 39, it was announced that Strong would be leaving the segment and returning to the regular cast, with Michael Che replacing her. At the time, the decision was said to be connected to Jost rebooting the segment and wanting to choose a host that would complement his writing style better, though Strong has never weighed in on the decision herself.
But now Strong has revealed what happened on Marc Maron's WTF podcast. Near the end of the hour-long talk, host Maron asks Strong why she left the segment, with the comic replying that she felt limited by the role. Weekend Update anchors typically don't appear in regular sketches, and Strong wanted to create more characters for the show to illustrate her whackier comedy sensibilities. You can read her full, lengthy exchange with Maron below:
I feel really thankful I got to do it and I was such a fan of Seth's and he was our head writer and I think he's brilliant and so getting to do that with him was a really big deal in my second year. But I would get kind of jealous of other people creating new characters on [while I was on] Update.
What unfolded with that gig?
There was no set thing that happened. It didn't feel like it was working out, it didn't feel great. I didn't then want to be stuck to that and I didn't want to only do update and it felt like Update was going to need to have a major revision. It's not Seth anymore. And it was like, I don't want to...can I walk away, sort of. At the end of the summer I felt like "Should I have done that? Was that a bad move?" I had a quick fearful moment. I'm happy the way it worked out. And I love Michael Che.
So you talked to Lorne about it? You were like, "I want to do characters?
Yeah, we had a lot of talks. Well, not a lot. At that point we weren't as close as we are now. It feels ungrateful or something, but I didn't want to be known for Update, and a not great Update. I like doing characters. That's really fun. That's what I want the bulk of what I do on the show to be.
The change, seen as controversial at the time, given that Strong's departure meant the Weekend Update team consisted of two men for the first time in SNL's history, worked out for the better for all involved. Strong has become one of the most popular stars on the show, creating several memorable characters, including Heather, the One-Dimensional Female Character from a Male-Driven Comedy, and several memorable celebrity impersonations.
Jost and Che, too, have revitalized the Weekend Update section thanks to their friendly rivalry, turning it once again into a must-watch segment. Saturday Night Live remains popular, with the core cast from season 45 returning for season 46, which starts on Saturday. The new season features Jim Carrey and Maya Rudolph in recurring guest roles as Vice-President Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris, respectively. Strong returns as well, presumably with new characters and some returning favorites.
Source: WTF podcast