Overview

• Four cast members are out ahead of the Oct. 4 premiere: Heidi Gardner after eight seasons, Michael Longfellow after three, and Devon Walker and Emil Wakim.
• Writers Celeste Yim, the show’s first out trans writer, and Rosebud Baker have also said they will not return.
• Walker described parts of his tenure as “toxic as hell,” Wakim called his exit “a gut punch,” and Longfellow expressed gratitude, underscoring mixed reasons for the changes.
• Michaels told Puck he planned to “shake things up” and feels pressure to reinvent, with further roster decisions expected in the coming days.
• Continuity remains on key impressions as James Austin Johnson is set to continue portraying President Donald Trump next season.