Mike O'Brien And Four More 'SNL' Writers Leave The Show

But there may be hope for his return.
NBC via Getty Images

"Saturday Night Live" has just lost a handful of writers.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Mike O'Brien has left the show as a writer, along with Nick Rutherford, Natasha Rothwell, Alison Rich and Claire Mulaney. O'Brien joined the "SNL" writing staff in 2009 and was upped to a featured player in 2013 for Season 39. O'Brien left the stage last season to return to the writer's room.

But this doesn't necessarily mean O'Brien's talents are gone for good. As Uproxx reports, there's still the possibility that O'Brien's writing may appear on "SNL" in the form of short films. Some of the shorts O'Brien was previously credited with include "Prom Queen" and "Grow-a-Guy."

The empty chairs in the "SNL" room have already been filled with new names, however. Splitsider reports that Season 41, which kicks off with host Miley Cyrus on Oct. 3, will feature the writing talents of Fran Gillespie, Sudi Green and Will Stephen of UCB, former "Late Show with David Letterman" writers Paul Masella and Chris Belair, as well as stand-up comedian Dave Sirus.

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