Boom! Will Forte — whose memorable characters include MacGruber and Tim Calhoun — will not return to Saturday Night Live for the show’s 36th season this fall, says ArtsBeat. Reps for the star and SNL declined official comment (see update below), but the split is reportedly amicable and “at the choosing of Mr. Forte, who plans to pursue other projects.†Still: bummer! We couldn’t find embeddable video of his classic Peyton Manning sketch (it’s viewable here), but you can watch another favorite after the jump.
Update: Forte’s rep confirms: “After eight great seasons, Will has made the decision to move on from SNL to pursue new opportunities. He is eternally grateful to Lorne and all of the incredible people he worked with over the years.â€
Will Forte Is Leaving ‘Saturday Night Live’ [ArtsBeat/NYT]