‘Saturday Night Live’ loses Martin Herlihy after five seasons
A Saturday Night Live tenure packed with sketches, laughs, and behind-the-scenes writing is coming to a close—bet you know the name behind it.
News of Martin Herlihy exiting Saturday Night Live landed with a jolt inside Studio 8H’s comedy ecosystem. After five seasons with the show, the Please Don’t Destroy standout is moving on, with no reason given for his departure, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It caps a year of reshuffling around the trio’s presence on the show and leaves Ben Marshall as the only member of the group still in the building.
Herlihy exits Saturday Night Live after five seasons, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Herlihy joined SNL in 2021 alongside Ben Marshall and John Higgins, quickly turning the Please Don’t Destroy “office” shorts—shot in a cramped 30 Rock workspace—into a weekly must-watch. While he primarily worked as a writer, his awkward, deadpan turns in bits like “Blowing It” and “Green Flags,” and appearances opposite hosts including Taylor Swift and Dakota Johnson, made him one of the show’s most reliable stealth scene-stealers.
Please Don’t Destroy reshuffle
Heading into Season 51, the trio’s on-air setup changed: John Higgins exited a year earlier, Ben Marshall moved into the main cast, and Herlihy stepped back from regular pre-tapes to focus more heavily on writing. The group’s run also came with deep SNL ties—Herlihy is the son of longtime SNL writer Tim Herlihy, and Higgins is the son of producer Steve Higgins.
What he might do next
There’s no confirmed next move for Herlihy, but acting looks like a strong possibility given the projects on his slate. Recent and upcoming titles linked to him include:
- Happy Gilmore 2
- The Running Man — Edgar Wright’s remake, opposite Glen Powell
- Roommates
- The Breadwinners
Meanwhile, Please Don’t Destroy isn’t disappearing. The troupe is staying active outside NBC, developing standalone projects and live comedy following its 2025 Please Don’t Destroy LIVE special.