Cecily Stong Reveals ‘Weird Emotional Baggage’ From Working on ‘SNL’ for Nearly a Decade

Versatile and talented, Cecily Strong is known to every fan of the sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. As the longest-tenured female cast member in the show’s history, many fans have grown up watching Strong on SNL every Saturday night. In late 2022, Strong announced that she would be stepping away from the series – shocking many viewers. In the months since Strong’s exit, the comedian has opened up several times about the decision that led her to leave SNL. In a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon, Strong admitted that she still has a strong emotional attachment to the area where SNL is filmed.

When did Cecily Strong join ‘Saturday Night Live’?

Strong was born in Illinois in 1984. As a young woman, she developed a keen interest in stand-up comedy, performing regularly at iconic comedy clubs such as The Second City and iO Chicago. In 2012, Strong was recruited to join SNL. In less than a year, Strong became a repertory player on the show, performing in most sketches and earning renown for her impressions.

In December 2022, Strong announced that she was stepping away from the series. She made an impassioned speech in an Instagram post, writing “I’m sorry I’ve been a little quiet about it publicly. I didn’t want the extra pressure on something already so emotional for me.” Per Variety, Strong went on to write “I am ready to go, but I’ll always know home is here. I’ve had the time of my life working with the greatest people on earth.”

What did Cecily Strong say about her ‘weird emotional baggage’ from leaving ‘SNL’?

While Strong has been busy in the months since leaving SNL, she’s still got a strong attachment to the show that made her a star. In a recent interview with Fallon, a fellow SNL alum, Strong told him that just being back in the building where the show was filmed is tough. “Being on this floor is okay,” Strong said. “I’m sure I’d burst into tears…there’s just a lot of weird emotional baggage. It was a lot of years of my life.”

Strong went on to detail her exit from the series, telling Fallon that it wasn’t a huge shock to her fellow castmates. “I think there were still people I love at the show that were like, ‘If we don’t say it, it won’t happen. Then she’ll stay.'” Strong also described her emotional last day, when host Austin Butler sang to her in character as Elvis Presley: “I don’t think I’ve cried and hugged a host so much ever.”

What is Cecily Strong working on now?

Strong might not be focusing on sketch comedy these days, but she’s got exciting new projects in the works. Most notably, Strong is starring in the second season of Schmigadoon!, a musical comedy series available on Apple TV+. The first season of the show dropped in July 2021, quickly earning critical acclaim and getting renewed for a second season not long after. The ensemble cast includes not only Strong, but Keegan-Michael Key, Fred Armisen, Dove Cameron, Kristin Chenoweth, and Ariana DeBose.

The second season features a darker, slightly edgier tone than the first, according to CBR. The publication also praises the second season as “so funny and creative that it’s easy to ignore the weaker storytelling and character arcs in the second season.” For fans of Strong, the show is a great opportunity to see the talented comedian and singer flex her muscles in a role that is very different from anything that she played on SNL.