Why Aidy Bryant stayed on SNL longer than she wanted

Aidy Bryant was a fixture on ‘Saturday Night Live’ for 10 seasons, but now it’s time to say goodbye — and the comedian explains why.

Bryant, 35, joined the cast of the late-night sketch series for season 37 in 2012 and ended its run a decade later after season 47.

The “Shrill” star told Variety in a new profile that she wanted to leave the NBC show earlier but the coronavirus ruined her plans.

“If it wasn’t for COVID, I probably would have left a few years sooner,” she said. “But it was such a big change.”

“When COVID hit, it was so devastating that we all thought, ‘I’ll definitely be back next year.’ And then I had to do Shrill halfway through last season, so I missed a lot,” she continued.

Bryant noted that she felt 10 years on SNL seemed like enough time. “And then it was like, ‘Well, now I should take a step back.’ I kept trying to look for one last normal year. This year wasn’t the normal year I was hoping for, but it was closer. It was like, ‘Okay, it’s really time now.’ And 10 felt like a nice solid round number,” she said.

“Shrill” aired on Hulu for three seasons beginning in 2019, and Bryant wrote and starred in the comedy series.

She explained that working on the streaming show while also doing “SNL” took a toll on her.

“In those years, it wasn’t uncommon for me to work a 12-hour day on ‘Shrill’ and then go on to work ‘SNL’ all day—and all night!” she recalled.

“So that would be a 22-hour day. I can not do this anymore. Maybe in my 20s I could. But now I’m in my 30s and I’m like, ‘This is closure for these days,'” said the Human Resources actress. “It felt really final and I don’t feel like my relationship with the show is over.”

The Arizona native also recalled telling SNL boss Lorne Michaels about her departure. “Maybe in March or April I went into his office and said, ‘I need to talk to you.’ I was scared because I feel close to him and I’m so grateful to him.”

She continued, “I didn’t want it to come across as leaving angry. I leave with so much love. He said, ‘I see, and it makes sense to you.’ ”