Twitter Seems to Think Sarah Sherman Is Really Leaving ‘SNL’
Scarlett Johansson combined two tried-and-true SNL monologue traditions Saturday night, performing a song (a laugh-starved parody of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”) and taking questions from the audience (one goofy song-question from Kenan Thompson about dinosaurs, an oblique reference to Johansson’s turn in the new Jurassic Park movie).
The song did have one interesting curveball when Johansson belted out this lyric:
It’s been a great season
And Sarah is leaving
We’re all going to miss you next year
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“Wait, what?” Sherman protested. “Did you guys hear something? WHAT DO YOU MEAN, LEAVING?”
The announcement is almost certainly a joke — after her fake cries of protest, Sherman flashed a big goofy grin and ed back in for the sing-along. But SNL fans on Twitter weren’t so sure it was a gag.
Why even make the joke? It’s likely Johansson’s wink to all of the online rumors about other cast on the way out, most prominently her husband, Colin Jost, and his Weekend Update co-anchor, Michael Che. There are also whispers about Mikey Day (nine seasons on SNL) and Heidi Gardner (eight seasons), mostly because they’re the longest tenured cast on the show.
The reality is that Sherman is poised to be one of the show’s main stars, especially if there is a cast member exodus. She’s one of the rumored frontrunners to take over Weekend Update, telling Vanity Fair this week that “I would love to” do the job if it’s offered. “It looks so fun. I’ll do anything that’s fun.”
Speculating about her role next season? Relax, Twitter — it doesn’t sound like Sherman is planning an early exit.
