After Season 49 of Saturday Night Live, a number of comedians departed to make way for fresh faces to join the NBC show. Notably, Punkie Johnson left after four seasons, and Molly Kearney departed after their second season on the show. Chloe Troast also was not asked back after appearing on the show for only a season. Troast’s exit came as a disappointment to many fans, especially when it was made clear that leaving was not her choice. Now, she has reflected on the situation, and noted all the wildly successful performers who only lasted a season on SNL.
This week, Troast was awarded a pop culture honor by Cosmopolitan Magazine for being a notable and influential figure. She accepted the award at the Refinery Rooftop at Domino in Brooklyn, and the moment felt like a sign that the comedian’s career post-SNL would still thrive. In her speech, she reflected on being let go by the iconic sketch show, and what she’s done for her mental health following the career detour. She said (via Cosmopolitan):
About a month ago, I found out I wouldn't be returning to my dream job on Saturday Night Live. Very Gen Z of me to get fired. There are not a lot of people in this world that can relate to you when you lose a job like Saturday Night Live, besides maybe Adam Sandler, Jenny Slate, Michaela Watkins, Joan Cusack, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Robert Downey Jr, Billy Crystal... but no way you know their names. Even so, I felt broken. And who better than my ex-dressing room roommate [Molly Kearney] to call me, get me out of bed, and help me see the forest through the trees. Literally, they helped me get out of the city and I spent a month in nature. Touched grass. Gained some perspective. SNL was my dream, and now I have a lot of time to dream new dreams.
The names she's listed show that she's in good company, as many went on to have thriving comedy careers outside of Saturday Night Live. Troast has a lot in front of her, and she earned enough of a fan base to flourish as an independent artist. However, the disappointment was likely huge, and it’s nice to know that fellow Season 49 cast member Molly Kearney was there to support her through the devastating loss.
It is unclear if Kearney was in the same boat as Troast, or if they left on their own volition. Either way, it seems like this connection will last long after their SNL days.
Troast is also right to mention the names she did. Adam Sandler and Chris Farley were let go together to make room for new fresh faces, but had iconic, memorable movie careers directly following. SNL may not have been the place for Robert Downey Jr. or Julia Louis Dreyfus, but the MCU and Seinfeld were, and both are two of the most successful names in Hollywood. The list goes on and on, and luckily with the internet, there are so many ways that Troast and other savvy comics can make a name for themselves without Saturday Night Live.
The comedian continued her speech with an old tale about a man who alternated between good and bad luck throughout his life, which is a metaphor for the highs and lows humans face in their lifetimes. While Trost’s SNL firing could be seen as a stroke of bad luck, this could mean that good luck is just around the corner.
We never know what kind of circumstances we will face in the journey to achieve our dreams, but it seems like she is making the most of it. Overall, the whole speech made for a beautiful moment, with a message of hope from someone experiencing a great loss in their life and still looking up.
You can revisit Chloe Troast’s short, but memorable, tenure by watching SNL’s 49th season now with a Peacock subscription. Fans of the comedian can also see her alongside Kiernan Shipka in the upcoming romantic comedy, Sweethearts, which will be available with a Max subscription on November 28.