Comedian Punkie Johnson shares her reasons for leaving “Saturday Night Live” after Season 49, discussing her doubts about fitting in and her decision to move on.
Bollywood Fever: Comedian Punkie Johnson recently opened up about her decision to leave Saturday Night Live (SNL) ahead of its milestone 50th season.
Speaking with SNL veterans David Spade and Dana Carvey on their “Fly on the Wall” podcast, Johnson shared that she began doubting her place on the iconic sketch comedy show before Season 49 even began.
“I talked to my team. I was like, ‘Look, I don’t really know if I belong at this job, so maybe I should step away,’” Johnson revealed. Despite her concerns, she delayed making a final decision. “But I told them super, super late, like right after I found out I got to go back. And it was like, ‘Well Punkie, you need a plan. You can’t just quit your job.’”
Johnson ultimately decided to stay on as a cast member for Season 49, and the first few weeks went well.
“I think I got like three or four sketches on the first half [of the season],” she said. “And usually I only get maybe two or three on the entire season, so I’m like, ‘Oh man, I’m killing it. Like, this is my season.’”
However, her momentum was disrupted when her writer, Ben Silva, left the show.
“If I was telling him something, he knew how to put it in ‘SNL’ format for me. If I try to put it in ‘SNL’ format, that’s the hard part,” Johnson explained.
Ultimately, Johnson questioned whether SNL was the right fit for her.
“I didn’t really feel like I fit, like I didn’t feel like that was my zone. That show is for a different type of person,” she said. Coming from a standup comedy background, Johnson assumed others on the show had similar experiences. However, she soon realized many had formal training specifically for sketch comedy. “I started having conversations with people and everybody was like, ‘Oh yeah, we went to school for this.’ I’m like, ‘Y’all went to school to be here?’”
Johnson joined SNL in 2020 as a featured player in Season 46. Her other credits include A Black Lady Sketch Show, Adam Ruins Everything, Corporate, and Space Force.
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