Saturday Night Live is losing another long time star. Bill Hader will be leaving the late night sketch comedy show after the season finale airs this week, confirmed the comedian’s publicist on Tuesday.
Hader is an eight-year veteran of the NBC show who is best known for his variety of impressions, including smug game show hosts, actor Al Pacino and Stefon, a gay TV journalist known for recommending over-the-top night clubs on the show’s longtime “Weekend Update” segment.
“It was a hard decision, but it has to happen at some point,” Hader told the New York Times. “It got to a point where I said, ‘Maybe it’s just time to go.'”
Hader, 34, is the latest top talent to depart the show, which will finish its 38th season on Saturday. Popular comedians Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg left last year to focus on acting careers.
NBC announced last week that series veteran Seth Meyers, anchor of the show’s “Weekend Update” news segment, will be the new host of the network’s late night talk show in 2014, “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
Currently, comedian Jimmy Fallon hosts the late night slot, but he will be taking over from Jay Leno on “The Tonight Show” next year.
Leaving the New York-taped “Saturday Night Live” has been a rite of passage into Hollywood for many of the show’s former stars, including Chevy Chase, Tina Fey, Dan Aykroyd and Mike Myers.
