'SNL' Fans Panic After Fan-Favorite Cast Member Doesn't Appear on Season Premiere

By Anna Rumer

Cecily Strong fans were all stirred up after the comedian didn't appear in the opening credits of the Saturday Night Live Season 48 premiere. The fan-favorite performer was notably absent from the start of the NBC show's new season on Oct. 1 following a number of high-profile cast departures earlier in the year, leading fans to wonder if Strong had quietly made her own exit from the show after nine seasons. 

While Strong didn't make an appearance in the premiere episode hosted by Miles Teller and musical guest Kendrick Lamar, she was only absent due to prior commitments with another creative endeavor and will be returning to the show later in the season. Keep scrolling to get the details on the reason for her absence and see the shocked reaction from SNL fans.

'What Gives?'

Fans tuning in to the SNL premiere were taken aback to not see Strong in the opening credits, despite all previous indication that she would be returning for another season.

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On the Case

Fans of Strong quickly declared themselves on the case to determine what was going on as they took to Twitter to compare notes.

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'Did She Leave Too?'

Others assumed Strong was among one of the many big names to leave SNL at the end of last season and mourned what they mistakenly thought was her exit from the show.

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Where Is Strong?

Despite the initial alarm, Strong has been confirmed to still be a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Her absence can be attributed to her role in the revival of The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Due to the distance between L.A. and 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York and the timing of the performances, Strong will be unable to appear on SNL until after the show concludes its run on Oct. 23.

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Casting Shakeup

Strong may be temporarily absent from this season of SNL, but the sketch show has brought in plenty of new names to replace some of the major players who made their exit after last season. Joining Saturday Night Live this season are new cast members Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker, who are filling the spots left open by the departure of Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Chris Redd, Pete Davidson, Aristotle Athari, Alex Moffat, and Melissa Villaseñor.

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Returning Cast Members

Not everyone on the SNL cast is a fresh face, however. Returning cast members include Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Andrew Dismukes, Punkie Johnson, James Austin Johnson, and Sarah Sherman. Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

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