Emil Wakim Let Go from SNL, See How Comedian Reacted to ‘Gut Punch of a Call’

Just one day after Devon Walker announced his exit after three seasons, hinting at the show being “toxic as hell” at times, newcomer Wakim opened up about receiving the “gut punch” news that he was out after just one season — at the most awkward place possible.

“It was a gut punch of a call to get, but I’m so grateful for my time there,” Wakim posted to his Instagram on Wednesday.

He then shared, “I was at Six Flags celebrating my friend’s 36th birthday and went on a really emotional walk through Bugs Bunny Park and stared out across Daffy Duck Lake thinking about life.”

“Every time I scanned into the building, I would think how insane it is to get to work there,” Wakim continued, reminiscing on his short time at 30 Rock. “It was the most terrifying, thrilling and rewarding experience of my life, and I will miss it dearly and all the brilliant people that work there that made it feel like a home.”

While this door closes for the young comic, Wakim shared that he’s already looking ahead. “i was so lucky to bring some of myself in there and say things i believed in and i’m excited for whatever chapter comes next. here’s to making more art without compromise,” he wrote, signing off with, “onwards and upwards, love u, emil ♥️”

He also shared kinds words for the show’s creator, adding, “Thank you to Lorne for taking a chance on me and changing my life.”

Wakim received some kind words from his fellow comedians, with former cast member Punkie Johnson — who made her own exit after Season 49 — saying she initially thought this was going to be a birthday post before revealing how “truly surprised” she was by his announcement.

“I’m glad you are focusing on the good and are proud of yourself and the work you put in not many people can say they were on SNL and for the 50th is legendary… You a legend baby… Outside ain’t bad. Welcome back💙🫡.” Another former cast member, Chris Redd, wrote, “Congrats! You made it to the other side! 🔥”

“You made a mark on that show that will not be forgotten ❤️,” added comedian Nikki Glaser. Wakim was the first cast member of Lebanese heritage and often shared his unique experiences on the show, appearing as a frequent commentator on “Weekend Update.”

Current cast member Chloe Fineman chimed in with her own message of love, writing, “Your such a star and ill miss sitting next to the best dressed man at table read!!!” That said, though, Michaels has not yet confirmed who among the cast will be returning, except for James Austin Johnson, who’s made his mark these past four seasons playing Donald Trump.

In his own announcement of his SNL exit on Tuesday, Devon Walker also got love from former and current cast members, with Heidi Gardner telling him, “I love you 🩵,” and Jay Pharoah writing, “Great work my brother! Onward and Upward💪🏾.” Fineman also chimed in on his post, writing, “I’ll miss being your pregnant wife all the time!!!!!”

“me and baby broke up ❤️,” Walker captioned his Instagram share, alongside several photos from his time on the show. He went into more depth on a “note” graphic among them titled, “”wait..did he quite or did he get fired?”

“To me, jobs in this industry feel like a bunch of little marriages. Some of em last for a long time if we’re lucky, but most of them are fleeting. Permanent until they’re not. That’s the deal. You know what it is it when you sign up,” he wrote in the message.

“Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell,” he continued. “But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a f–ked up lil family.”

“More than anything, I’m just really happy I got to do it with Gary and Alex. N—-s really went from running a bar show to working together at 30 rock! It’s a beautiful thing. Also I look caked up in that picture and I feel like it’s important for people to know what I got going on,” he added.

Walker’s message then concluded, “Anyway, I’m bout to go to Japan. When I get back I’m tryna be in a prestige drama. Ideally something with Julianne Moore. Hope y’all staying hydrated and getting some money today.”

After the news first broke and began to circulate, Walker jumped back onto his Instagram Stories to add, “just to be clear, this is good news !! It was just time for me to do something different. please don’t be hitting me with the ‘im so sorry’ we not on that at ALL. sometimes mom and dad don’t see things eye to eye. i’ll talk about the whole thing on My Favorite Lyrics [podcast] soon.”

The cuts come after Michaels agreed in an interview with Puck News published Friday that his plan was to “shake things up” after holding steady for the big anniversary. “I wanted people coming back and being part of (the 50th season),” Michaels said. “And that meant there couldn’t be those kind of disruptions, or anything that was going to take the focus off.”

Michaels confirmed to the outlet that he is feeling some “pressure to reinvent” the show, saying that the announcement would come in “a week or so.” As it turns out, the announcements are coming sooner than that, though a final picture of what the new cast will look like has not yet been revealed.

The Season 50 cast of Saturday Night Live included Wakim, Walker, Johnson, Fineman, and Gardner, as well as Kenan Thompson, Colin Jost, Michael Che, Mikey Day, Ego Nwodim, Bowen Yang, Andrew Dismukes, Sarah Sherman, Marcello Hernández, Michael Longfellow, Ashley Padilla, and Jane Wickline.

Season 51 is set to premiere on October 4.