Martin Herlihy is leaving “Saturday Night Live” after five seasons, TheWrap has learned.
Herlihy was previously a writer for four seasons as part of the sketch group Please Don’t Destroy, which also includes Ben Marshall and John Higgins. The trio was hired onto the show in 2021 and quickly became known for their quirky prerecorded sketches that often featured major celebrities like Taylor Swift, Steve Martin, Martin Short and Bad Bunny.
In Season 51, Higgins departed the show to pursue other opportunities, Herlihy stayed on as a writer and Marshall became a full-time cast member.
Herlihy’s solo sketches for the series often involved him sitting in an old-fashioned armchair and confidently giving bad advice or walking the audience through wild scenarios. These included the sketches “Blowing It” and “Social Experiment.” However, Herlihy’s most popular standalone sketch, “Green Flags,” didn’t follow this format and instead featured Herlihy as a man trying to hide his erotic Lego collection from his date, played by Ashley Padilla.
While all three Please Don’t Destroy members were writing for “SNL,” the trio also wrote and starred in the film “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain,” which was released on Peacock in 2023. Herlihy has also starred in “The Running Man,” “Happy Gilmore 2,” “Roommates” and “The Breadwinner.”
Though Herlihy was a writer and not a cast member, his absence will be felt in Season 52 considering how many sketches he’s appeared in over the years. In July, longtime cast member Chloe Fineman also announced she would be departing the show.
“It’s cliche to say this but working at ‘SNL’ has been the greatest privilege of my life. I still can’t really believe I got to be a part of it,” Fineman wrote on Instagram, thanking “SNL” executive producer Lorne Michaels.
Herlihy and Fineman are the only two “SNL” regulars who are not expected to return for Season 52. However, as we approach the season’s Sept. 26 return date, there’s always a chance more writers and cast members may leave.
