Kristen Wiig Says Goodbye to Saturday Night Live

Kristen Wiig is no longer a Saturday Night Live cast member. On Saturday’s season finale, featuring host Mick Jagger, the show wrapped with a musical good-bye set to the classic Rolling Stones song, “She’s a Rainbow.” Dancing with Mick Jagger as your final act on SNL? Not a bad way to go out. Kristen took turns dancing with her castmates, and she noticeably struggled to hold back tears during the heartfelt segment.

                (Hulu video link: http://www.hulu.com/watch/363338/saturday-night-live-shes-a-rainbow)

The departure from the long-running sketch comedy show was only a surprise to viewers who have been living in a closet for a year or two. Kristen’s career has blown up in the past few years, especially with the success of Bridesmaids and the resulting Oscar nomination for screenwriting. It’s also been rumored for months now that Kristin was bidding adieu to the show that launched her career. Of course, that didn’t make it any easier to say good-bye to the show’s funniest star. With her fearless comedy style (she was never one to show self-consciousness about playing hideous characters or acting ridiculous) and versatility (it seemed she could impersonate any celebrity and believably pass for any age) made SNL worth watching in recent years. The show will certainly feel the loss of the talented comedienne next season.

Here’s a look back at Kristin’s top five Saturday Night Live characters:

1.       Gilly: She didn’t shy away from the awkward and ugly in a sketch, and that made for some legendary characters. Gilly, one of her most popular, was a highly mischievous schoolgirl.

2.       Dooneese Maharelle: This mutant-looking woman appeared in the Lawrence Welk show segments. Again, playing up the ugly, Dooneese was an adult woman with baby-sized hands, a mega forehead, and a dirty mouth. On Saturday’s season finale, Dooneese made an appearance alongside surprise guest Jon Hamm, who played a sexy Italian looking for love.

3.       The Target Lady: Kristen regularly cracked up audiences as The Target Lady, a middle-aged clerk at popular chain store with a penchant for awkwardly chatting up customers and making them uncomfortable.

4.       Judy Grimes: A nervous travel agent who often appeared on Weekend Update with travel tips – and a whole lot of rambling.

5.       Aunt Linda: What if your suburbia-dwelling mom reviewed the latest Hollywood movies? That was Aunt Linda. And she was rather hard to please.

Though their good-byes weren’t as obvious, Jason Sudeikis and Andy Samberg also hinted during the finale that they’re leaving SNL, too.