Will Forte bids Saturday Night Live goodbye

Will Forte is leaving Saturday Night Live after eight seasons with the comedy sketch show. The news was first reported by the New York Times late Thursday, which said the performer left at his own choosing.

“Will has made the decision to move on from SNL to pursue new opportunities. He is eternally grateful to Lorne [producer Lorne Michaels] and all of the incredible people he worked with over the years,” Forte’s publicist said in a statement in Entertainment Weekly on Friday.

The move comes as a surprise, however, as the 40-year-old comedian told EW back in May that “I would not be surprised if I was back for another year.”

Forte played many odd characters on the show. One of the most remarkable characters was the mock-heroic TV character of MacGruber, whose exploits were made into a film this year and flopped at the box office.

Forte has also had smaller roles in such movies as Baby Mama and Brief Interviews With Hideous Men.

Saturday Night Live is set to launch its 36th season this September.