Kate McKinnon teases possible “SNL” season 50“ ”return: 'It's not too far of a train ride'
The heavyweight "Saturday night Live" alum said she'd "love to come back" for the historic season.
It's a cold world without Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live — but things just got a bit warmer.
The beloved alum of the long-running sketch comedy program said Monday on the Today show that she'd "love to come back" for SNL's historic 50th season, which kicked off this past weekend.
"Real quick," host Savannah Guthrie said, "SNL's 50th season, are they going to be able to pull you back in for something?"
McKinnon flashed her famous purse-lipped smirk and quipped, "You know, I still do live in New York. It's not too far of a train ride."
She emphatically added, "Yeah I'll come back. I'd love to come back."
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McKinnon is one SNL's most popular recent graduates, and the only cast member from the past 10 years to crack the top 10 of Entertainment Weekly's best Saturday Night Live cast members ranking. Appearing on the show for 11 seasons between 2012 and 2022, McKinnon proved herself to be a master of the political impersonation and created indelible characters like burned-out actress Debette Goldry and alien abductee Colleen Rafferty.
Since departing the show, she's managed a feat that alludes many SNL alums: keeping her film and television career vital. McKinnon made a memorable appearance in 2023's biggest movie, Barbie, and she'd be a prime get for SNL's semicentennial.
The SNL season 50 premiere featured host Jean Smart, musical guest Jelly Roll, and a murderer's row of talents from seasons past, including Maya Rudolph, Dana Carvey, and Andy Samberg. This past weekend also saw the debut of Jason Reitman's SNL origin-story movie, Saturday Night, in select theaters; it goes wide Oct. 11.
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Kate McKinnon and Billie Eilish on 'Saturday Night Live'NBC has announced hosts and musical guests for the first five episodes of SNL season 50, including stars like John Mulaney, Chappell Roan, Ariana Grande, and Michael Keaton. Given the first episode's bonanza of bonus guests, viewers could be in for a wild ride with each episode, and there might just be enough room for McKinnon between now and the official 50th-anniversary special, a three-hour retrospective program to air Feb. 16.
There are still plenty of current cast members who McKinnon collaborated and costarred with during her run, including Michael Che, Colin Jost, Mikey Day, Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Chloe Fineman, Bowen Yang, Andrew Dismukes, James Austin Johnson, and Sarah Sherman.
The summer between the close of season 49 and the premiere of season 50 saw the departures of Punkie Johnson, Molly Kearney, and Chloe Troast, and the hiring of three new cast members, Ashley Padilla, Emil Wakim, and Jane Wickline.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.