Bill Hader leaving 'Saturday Night Live'

Credit: NBC

It's curtains for Stefon. Bill Hader is leaving Saturday Night Live.

The gifted comedic performer (for my money, the best talent SNL has right now) has given his notice, revealing that this weekend’s season finale will be his last appearance on the venerable, live sketch comedy series.

“It was a hard decision, but it has to happen at some point,” Hader said in an interview with The New York Times. “It got to a point where I said, ‘Maybe it’s just time to go.’”

After joining SNL in 2005, Hader quickly rose to prominence for his impressions of such varied personalities as James Carville, Al Pacino, and Keith Morrison (an impression I didn't know I needed in my life until now), to name a few. However, it was the character of flamboyant Stefon, Weekend Update's "city correspondent," that brought Hader a whole new level of recognition.

The news of Hader’s departure comes hot on the heels of the loss of head writer and Weekend Update anchorman Seth Meyers, who accepted NBC's offer to replace Jimmy Fallon as the host of Late Night. There’s also buzz that Fred Armisen and Jason Sudeikis, two of the most tenured of the current cast members, could also be on their way out.

Executive producer Lorne Michaels told the Times that Sudeikis and Armisen are in the process of “making their decisions,” adding, “I’ve said what I wanted to say to both. You never keep anybody there who doesn’t want to be there, and there is a right time to leave, but it’s more about where they are in their lives.”

Decisions will also have to be made soon regarding which cast members/featured players Michaels wants to keep on for another season. The recently increased profiles of Aidy Bryant and Cecily Strong, combined with the general lack of female performers on the show, could secure their jobs. The same could be said for featured player Tim Robinson, who's a solid male performer on a series that's losing more than a few good men.

Via: TVLine

What do you think? Will you be sad to see Hader go? Does SNL need to let some other cast members go and inject some new blood into the show? Or should they cling like grim death to the people they've got? Sound off in the comments!