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‘SNL’ standout Leslie Jones won’t be returning for Season 45, but Kate McKinnon will


“Saturday Night Live” will be missing one of its singular players, Leslie Jones, when it returns for Season 45 in September.

Fans disappointed with that departure can take comfort that standout performer Kate McKinnon will be returning for her eighth season on the popular NBC late-night sketch series (Sept 28, 11:30 EDT/8:30 PDT).

Jones is leaving NBC’s popular late-night comedy series after five seasons, according to a person with knowledge of the situation but not free to speak publicly.

Jones, 51, originally was hired as a writer in 2014, but she quickly broke out with topical, hard-hitting commentaries on “Weekend Update” and became a regular performer.

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In a couple of her more memorable routines, she humorously flirted with and picked on “Update” co-anchor Colin Jost and, in a series of video vignettes, engaged in a love affair with fellow cast member Kyle Mooney. 

Jones, who received her third Emmy nomination in July, had a long career in comedy before “SNL” and the series raised her profile, creating acting opportunities in films such as “Ghostbusters” – which co-starred McKinnon – and a number of TV series. 

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Such opportunities suggest a reason for her departure, as Jones will be busy with her own 2020 Netflix comedy special and a role in the upcoming Eddie Murphy film sequel, “Coming 2 America.”

McKinnon, a seven-time Emmy nominee and two-time winner, is arguably the first among equals in the “SNL” cast, creating memorable portrayals of Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Jeff Sessions.

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