Throughout Saturday Night Live's decades-long run on television, the show has spawned the careers of several massive movie stars. In more recent years, the show has continued to star several beloved cast members who've managed to amass impressive fortunes for themselves.
Definitely one of SNL's most popular recent stars, Aidy Bryant made millions of people guffaw in laughter over the years.
Related: We've Ranked Saturday Night Live's Most Popular Cast Members, By Net Worth
At the end of Saturday Night Live's 47th season which aired in 2022, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Kate McKinnon, and Pete Davidson announced they were leaving the show. Of course, fans of those four stars were very sad to hear the news.
Amazingly enough, it actually turns out that Bryant's fans were lucky she stuck around so long since as it turns out, if it wasn't for something truly tragic, Bryant would have left SNL earlier.
Every time someone who starred in Saturday Night Live for years decides to leave the show behind, two things happen.
First off, observers and fans put together lists of their best moments from the show and when it comes to Aidy Bryant, there were a lot of highlights. Secondly, the departing star inevitably answers a lot of questions about why they decided it was time to walk away from SNL.
After the world learned Aidy Bryant was leaving Saturday Night Live, the talented and funny performer was interviewed by Variety. During the resulting conversation, Bryant revealed a lot of fascinating facts including how she told Lorne Michaels it was time for her SNL run to end.
"Maybe in March or April, I went to his office and was like, 'I gotta talk to you.' I was scared because I feel close to him and so grateful to him. I didn't want it to come off like I was leaving angrily. I am leaving with so much love. He was like, 'I understand, and it makes sense for you.'"
Related: 15 Surprising Facts About SNL's Kate McKinnon
During the same Variety interview, Aidy Bryant was asked why she decided to depart from Saturday Night Live. Surprisingly enough, Bryant then revealed that if it wasn't for the world being rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years, she actually would have left the show earlier.
"If it weren't for COVID, I probably would have left a few years earlier. But it was such a huge change. When COVID hit, it was so jarring that we were all like, 'I'm definitely going to come back next year.'"
Unfortunately for Aidy Bryant, even after she decided to continue starring in Saturday Night Live following the pandemic, the 46th season didn't go the way she wanted.
"And then I had to shoot 'Shrill' for half of last season, and so I missed a lot. And then it was like, 'Well, now I should go back one more.'"
On the bright side, Aidy Bryant felt the 47th season was close enough to normal for her to leave Saturday Night Live behind on the right note.
"I kept trying to seek one last normal year. This year wasn't the normal year that I hoped for, but it was closer to that. It was like, 'OK, it's really time now.' And 10 felt like a nice, solid round number."
By the time Aidy Bryant's time starring in Saturday Night Live came to an end, she'd been a part of the show's cast for a decade. Of course, that is worth noting since it is an incredible achievement for anyone to accomplish.
The fact that Bryant starred in SNL for so long also almost certainly means that after Bryant filmed her final segment for the show, it must have felt strange for her to know it was all over.
Related: Here's Why 'SNL' Star Aidy Bryant Created 'Shrill'
In the days that followed Aidy Bryant's Saturday Night Live tenure coming to an end, she must have been in an emotional place. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense that Bryant went on Instagram and posted an emotional tribute to her time on SNL, her co-stars, and the crew that makes the show possible.
"hi! i started on snl when i was 25, i had never been on camera, never produced, and had a lot to learn. in my 10 years at the show there are so many people who helped me in so many ways."
"Gena, Chris, Wally, Jodi, Tom, Eric, Dale, Audrey, Amanda, and all of the crew whose long hours and laughs in rehearsal meant the most."
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"the cast and writers that i got to with over the years made me laugh harder than i knew was possible. i love you and thank you from my whole heart. 💕"
Alongside her beautiful caption, Aidy Bryant included photos of herself with several Saturday Night Live crew members and writers.
The post also included images of Bryant alongside her co-stars Kate McKinnon, Seth Meyers, Vanessa Bayer, Bowen Yang, and Michael Che. Finally, a photo of a grinning Bryant standing with Lorne Michaels was included.