Cecily Strong reacts to Chloe Fineman’s “SNL ”exit: ‘One of the most gifted impressionists ever’
Cecily Strong reacts to Chloe Fineman’s “SNL ”exit: ‘One of the most gifted impressionists ever’
Ryan ColemanThu, July 30, 2026 at 2:47 AM UTC
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Chloe Fineman and Cecily Strong on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in October 2022Credit: Will Heath/NBC via GettyKey Points -
Cecily Strong is reacting to her old SNL castmate Chloe Fineman exiting the series.
Strong called Fineman “one of the most gifted impressionists ever,” in an interview with Parade.
The comedians overlapped for four years on SNL — from when Fineman was hired in 2019 to when Strong exited in 2022.
Cecily Strong is pouring one out for her old Saturday Night Livecastmate, Chloe Fineman.
The comedians crossed over for four years on the late-night sketch comedy institution, from when Fineman first joined as a repertory player in 2019, to when Strong left as a featured player in 2022.
By that time, Strong had already built up a vast and loyal fan base and created several indelible characters, while Fineman, only three years in, was well on her way to becoming one of the touchstone players of the 2020s.
In the aftermath of Fineman announcing her departure from the series after seven seasons earlier this month, Strong is looking back on what made her time so special.
Chloe Fineman and Cecily Strong in the ‘SNL’ sketch ‘The Understudy’Credit: snl
Strong called Fineman “one of the most gifted impressionists ever,” in an interview with Parade on Wednesday. “The fact that she had impressions of all of us was cool and scary and weird,” Strong said.
The same year that Strong announced her own exit from the show after 11 seasons, Fineman debuted a battery of spot-on impressions of veteran cast members — Strong included.
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In the 2022 digital short “The Understudy,” Fineman joked, “People are always asking what happens when a cast member has to miss a show because they’re sick? Well, that’s where I come in. I am the show’s official understudy.”
Fineman proceeded to nail pitch-perfect, deeply studied, and yes, even “scary” impressions of Kate McKinnon, Melissa Villaseñor, and Aidy Bryant. Dressed exactly like Strong while lingering in the studio kitchen —next to Strong herself — Fineman volleyed a set of “wells,” “yeps,” and “ohs” back and forth in Strong’s signature deadpan.
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Strong called it “beautiful and sad” that Fineman has chosen to leave the series. “I hope that she’s just so proud of herself and her seven years there and all she did... and there are really fun moments that we get to have on video [and] get to see forever. I revisit [them] all the time, and I love it.”
“After 7 wonderful seasons at SNL I have decided it’s time for my next chapter,” Fineman wrote in the Instagram post that announced her exit. “It’s cliche to say this but working at SNL has been the greatest privilege of my life. I still can’t really believe I got to be a part of it. I fell in love with the place the second I walked through the door.”
While appearing weekly as a featured player on the show, Fineman landed extracurricular roles in films like Babylon and Megalopolis, as well as series such as The Simpsons and Big Mouth. She’ll appear next in the romantic comedy Love Language, starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Anthony Ramos.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
