Melissa Villaseñor says her mental health was part of her decision to be one of eight actors to leave Saturday night Reason live before 2023-2023 season .
On 2023Last Laugh Podcast, the comedian talks about her new self-help manual Oops… I’m awesome , what’s behind her impressions, her time SNL and her decision to finally leave the NBC show. She told podcast hostDaily Beast senior writer Matt Wilstein that it was her decision to leave and her pre-Emmy-winning sketch The first season of the decision program 48 that has been under consideration all summer begins.
“I gave myself a lot of time in the summer to think about it, and if I go back, I’ll play it in my head,” she said. “I think, at the end of the day, it has to do with my mental health. I had a couple of panic attacks last season. I think it was because I was struggling and…I always felt like I was on the edge of a cliff every week.”
Villaseñor added that she realized “I don’t want to do this to myself anymore.” She also clarified that it wasn’t due to the tension of the show or work environment. Instead, she says her introverted nature no longer matches the meaning of one of television’s biggest shows.
“It’s not like this show is mean to me or anyone,” she explained. “I think I’m an introvert. I think when I’m in a big group with a lot of amazing people and everyone is talking [to each other], I think I get small and I get nervous , like where do I fit in? What should I do?”
After thinking about her future on the show all summer, she said she eventually came to the conclusion that she Do what you want to do and do the show.
“I was like, ‘I think I’m okay. I don’t think there’s anything else, oh, I need to share this. I want to do that on the show. I think I’m ready,” she recalls. “Something tells me I think I can part ways.”
How much she loves executive producer Lorne Michaels and SNL other members of the team. “I’m so grateful to all of them for having me. It’s my kid’s dream,” she said. “It’s all I wanted as a kid and I’m going to stick with it.
Villaseñor also talks about her time on the show and finding rhythm and where she is. She told Wilstein that it took her a while to get the hang of the SNL experience.
“I think until You find a writer who really connects with you,” she said of the comedian on SNL. “I write with a lot of really great people. It’s a toss up and it’s different every year. “
Villaseñor noted that during her six-year tenure, she had times when she was stronger than others, and she would appear in more sketches. Although she was on the show Concentrated success and presence is a “weekly” experience, but she emphasizes that the first year was “intense.”
Comedian in 2016-2023 During Debut season, had to compete with other Saturday Night Live cast together, covering Donald Trump’s election and then his first term. She explained that she’s adjusting to the city and her new role, which complicates the situation. “I Think I’m carrying too much, ‘It’s hard. New York is tough. ‘”
