Punkie Johnson, a prominent member of the "Saturday Night Live" ensemble, has recently unveiled her decision to exit the show as it approaches its 50th season.
Johnson's decision to leave the late-night comedy institution was not an impromptu one, as she revealed during an appearance on the "Fly on the Wall" podcast, hosted by "SNL" veterans David Spade and Dana Carvey.
According to the Daily Caller, Johnson had expressed her uncertainties about her place on the show to her team prior to the commencement of the 49th season. "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 confided to the former cast members. However, she admitted that her decision was communicated quite late, leading to her team advising her to reconsider. "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.'" Consequently, she returned to the show, and initially, things seemed to be going well.
Johnson described the initial weeks of the 49th season as "tremendous." She was excited about her increased involvement in the sketches, stating, "I think I got like three or four sketches on the first half [of the season]. 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, the departure of her writer, Ben Silva, from the show posed a significant challenge to Johnson's ability to effectively convey her ideas for sketch pitches, as reported by Variety.
Johnson, who has a background in stand-up comedy, felt out of place in the "SNL" environment. "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. Her surprise at learning that many of her colleagues had formal education in the field further underscored her feelings of alienation. "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?'"
While Johnson's IMDB profile does not list any forthcoming projects in her capacity as an actress, writer, or producer, her active presence in the comedy scene suggests that her departure from "SNL" is unlikely to be the end of her journey. Her fans and followers are eagerly anticipating her next move, confident that her comedic talents will continue to shine in whatever venture she undertakes next.
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