By Dustin Rowles | News | August 27, 2025
The changes over on SNL continue, and this one comes as something of a surprise. After the exits of three-year cast member Devon Walker, and writers Celeste Yim and Rosebud Baker, SNL has let go of featured player Emil Wakim after one season.
Wakim described the phone call he received as a “gut punch.”
This one actually doesn’t make any sense to me. Wakim hadn’t gotten a real shot at proving himself, and he was actually very good in his limited screentime during the first season. This “Update” segment was particularly good.
He also had a good “Update” segment on voting in 2024.
This particular firing feels … not OK, to be honest. It’s not just unexpected but unfair in the way that Chloe Troast was also pushed out after only one season. Wakim had just begun to establish himself and his voice. He deserved more time during a season that wasn’t dominated by older cast members.