By Lynn Elber, Television Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --"Saturday Night Live" cast member Leslie Jones is leaving the NBC show after five seasons, while Kate McKinnon is sticking around.
Jones' departure was confirmed by a person familiar with the change who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss Jones' status with the long-running sketch series.
The exit comes as Jones is branching out into other projects.
McKinnon will return for her eighth season with the show, the person said. McKinnon's portrayals of political figures including Hillary Clinton and Jeff Sessions have become a "SNL" staple.
Whether departures or additions, cast changes have become a part of the comic institution's ritual as it gets ready for another season, this time around No. 45 starting Sept. 28.
Earlier this month, Jones announced she's doing a Netflix stand-up special. In an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show, the "Ghostbusters" star said it's great to be an actress but that she's really a "hardcore" stand-up comedian.
She hasn't abandoned acting: Jones is part of the voice cast of the recently released "The Angry Birds Movie 2" and reportedly has been in discussions to join Eddie Murphy's announced "Coming to America" movie sequel. Murphy is scheduled to host "SNL" later this year, his first time back on the show in 35 years .
Her tenure on "SNL" was marked by an exuberant style and portrayal of celebrities including Whoopi Goldberg, whom Jones has called an inspiration.
She started with "SNL" as a writer, hired after the show was criticized in 2013 for a lack of diversity, particularly the absence of an African American woman among 16 regular or featured players. Cast members Kenan Thompson and Jay Pharoah, who has since left the show, commented publicly about it and refused to dress in drag to portray black women.
Jones was promoted to cast member early in the 2014-15 season and received three Emmy nominations for her work. Her representatives did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More