Punkie Johnson Explains ‘SNL’ Exit

While talking to “Saturday Night Live” veterans David Spade and Dana Carvey on their “Fly on the Wall” podcast, comedian Punkie Johnson discussed her decision to leave “SNL” ahead of its 50th season.

Johnson revealed she began doubting her role on the prolific sketch comedy show before Season 49. “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 said. “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 decided to remain as a cast member for Season 49, and said for the first couple of weeks, things were “tremendous.”

“I think I got like three or four sketches on the first half [of the season],” she added. “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, after the departure of her writer, Ben Silva, Johnson once again questioned her place on “SNL.” “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 said.

“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,” Johnson added. “I came from standup so I just thought everybody else came from standup. 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 first joined “SNL” in 2020 as a featured player on Season 46. Her other credits include “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” “Adam Ruins Everything,”“Corporate” and “Space Force.”