Punkie Johnson Explains Why She Is Leaving ‘SNL’: ‘That Show Is for a Different Type of Person’

As someone who has been following the journey of comedians in Hollywood, I must say I admire Punkie Johnson‘s courage and self-awareness. Leaving a prestigious show like Saturday Night Live isn’t an easy decision, but it seems she made the right call for herself.


During a conversation with former “Saturday Night Live” stars David Spade and Dana Carvey on their “Fly on the Wall” podcast, comedian Punkie Johnson shared the reasons behind her departure from SNL prior to its 50th season.

Johnson admitted that she started questioning her position on the successful comedy series prior to Season 49. She confided in her team saying, “I’m not sure if I’m the right fit for this role anymore, so perhaps I should consider leaving.” However, she shared this thought very close to the time when she was told she would return, and they responded, “Punkie, you need a strategy. You can’t just walk away from your job.”

Johnson opted to continue his role as a cast member for Season 49, and during the initial fortnight, he found things to be “extraordinarily good.”

She mentioned that she had approximately three to four sketches in the first half of the season, which is typically more than what she usually gets for the whole season (two or three). So, she’s feeling quite confident and enthusiastic, saying something like, “Wow, I’m really excelling this season! This feels like my year.”

After the departure of writer Ben Silva, Johnson started questioning her suitability on “SNL” again. She explained, “If I shared an idea with him, he knew how to transform it into a suitable format for ‘SNL.’ However, if I try to do that myself, it’s the challenging part.”

“Johnson mentioned that he didn’t seem to belong, as if the environment wasn’t suited to him. He explained, ‘That show is tailored for a different kind of individual.’ Since Johnson was from stand-up comedy, he assumed everyone else was too. However, when he interacted with others, he discovered that many had formal education in this field. His response was, ‘You all went to school to be here?'”

Johnson made her debut on “SNL” (Saturday Night Live) in the year 2020, as a prominent cast member during Season 46. Besides “SNL”, she has also appeared in various other productions like “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” “Adam Ruins Everything,” “Corporate,” and “Space Force.”

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2024-08-22 05:46