Kristen Wiig Talks About Leaving ‘SNL’

The writing has been on the wall ever since ‘Bridesmaids’ became the breakout comedic hit of 2011 and earned Kristen Wiig an Oscar nomination. Rumors swirled that the uber-talented comedian would depart ‘Saturday Night Live’ after seven seasons and try her luck at a full-time, feature-film career. The buzz must have reached deafening levels, because Wiig took the time to address the hearsay on Alec Baldwin’s NPR show ‘Here’s the Thing.’

"I will say that when I do leave it’s not because I’m sick of it and not because I see something better or anything like that. It’s just that it’s time," Wiig told the frequent ‘SNL’ host (via Vulture), admitting that she "doesn’t know" yet whether she will be back for next season. "This is my seventh year and that’s my family. It’s my heart. It’s New York to me."

But Wiig no doubt is feeling the pull of feature-film work. Though she has appeared in supporting roles in such comedies as ‘Paul,’ ‘MacGruber,’ ‘Adventureland’ and ‘Friends With Kids,’ she’s likely being offered more leading-role parts in the wake of ‘Bridesmaids.’ And it’s hard to say yes if you know you need to be back in New York for weekly rehearsals and live performances every Saturday night.

Here’s the full Baldwin interview, which is a great listen.

And prepare to mourn, for if Wiig decides to leave ‘SNL,’ we’ll lose such treasures as her Drew Barrymore impersonation, which she busted out for the latest ‘Being Quirky With Zooey Deschanel’ on last weekend’s show. Check it out below!