“Saturday Night Live” cast exits are starting to pile up ahead of Season 51, and among them so far is Heidi Gardner. Over the course of her eight seasons with the NBC show, she became a fan-favorite — and for good reason.
With so many episodes under her belt, Gardner was the longest tenured female cast member on the show, joining back in 2017. Her exit came following the announcements of Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow and Emil Wakim also leaving the show after Season 50 (with more likely still to follow).
Gardner had a handful of recurring characters on “SNL,” including Angel (every boxer’s girlfriend), teen film critic Bailey Gismert, Goop staffer Baskin Johns, Crystal and more. So, let’s look back on some of her best sketches.
Here are seven of our favorites, in no particular order:
1. Beavis and Butt-Head
OK, so we did say no particular order, but Gardner’s role in the viral “Beavis and Butt-Head” sketch is simply the best.
Gardner was known for never breaking on the show, even as castmates and celebrity hosts around her did. But the “Beavis and Butt-Head” sketch made her laugh so hard that she struggled to even get through it. She later explained that she struggled even in dress rehearsal, and admitted she felt guilty for losing it.
The thing about “SNL” is, it’s often at its funniest when the cast can’t keep it together. Her joy made the already-funny sketch even funnier.
2. December to Remember
If you’ve ever thought that holiday commercials showing a spouse getting surprised with a new car were ridiculous, then you were almost certainly validated by this “SNL” sketch.
During the “December to Remember” sketch, Gardner played the wife of Beck Bennett, who is surprised by her husband with a new Lexus. But, instead of fawning all over him and the car, she immediately gets upset, pointing out how major a purchase it is.
From there, she rips him a new one, and it feels like how this scenario might actually go. Get him, Heidi.
3. Angel, Every Boxer’s Girlfriend
Angel was one of Gardner’s recurring characters on “SNL,” and she was funny every single time. Angel is the girlfriend of every boxer in every boxing movie. She’s overdramatic, intense and really just hits every stereotypical beat you could hope for.
Gardner clearly did her research for this character, and it paid off for viewers repeatedly.
4. Bailey Gismert
Gen Z teenagers have very specific mannerisms, and Gardner managed to execute each of them every time she popped in as teen movie critic Bailey Gismert. This was another recurring character on “SNL,” and her takes on classic films were always hysterical.
Gardner had the awkwardness, she had the vocal fry and she had the acting chops to make you forget that she isn’t actually a 17-year-old in the moment. We’ll miss Bailey.
5. Waking Up
In fairness, this sketch absolutely belongs to Pedro Pascal. But Gardner is a close second, as she visibly pokes at his resolve throughout the bit, trying to get him to break (and nearly succeeding).
Gardner has always been great at going from a straight face to leaning into the comedy of a sketch, and she executed it perfectly here. Even she fights to keep it fully together, which, as we noted above, is a rare struggle for her. This sketch is just delightful.
6. Abby the Ex-Girlfriend
Gardner often proved that she wasn’t afraid to commit to the bit, and that was on full display in her sketch as “Abby the ex-girlfriend,” alongside Travis Kelce. She effectively waterboarded herself with fake tears to sell the comedy of it.
What made the sketch all the better was Gardner’s ability to infuse subtle psychopathy into the character (after all, it was only one date). She has the acting skills and the physical comedy skills, and always knew how to balance them.
7. Taco Math
Taco Math worked because of how accurate the writing was, but it was elevated thanks to the performance of Gardner and Jessica Chastain. The two women were hilariously frustrating, and it proved early on in Garnder’s tenure just how valuable she’d be to the show.
