“After eight great seasons, Will [Forte] has made the decision to move on from SNL to pursue new opportunities.  He is eternally grateful to [executive producer] Lorne [Michaels] and all of the incredible people he worked with over the years.”

That statement was released last Thursday when it was made official that one of Saturday Night Live‘s brightest cast members is leaving the show prior to the upcoming 36th season.  Forte is best known for his laugh-out-loud characters like MacGruber, The Falconer, Mr. Dillon (in the Gilly sketches), politician Tim Calhoun, and his collaborations with Jason Sudekis as Greg Stink (in the ESPN Classic sketches) and a member of the reverse Bon Jovi band, Jon Bovi.  He was even lucky enough to star in the very first SNL Digital Short, “Lettuce“, alongside Andy Samberg.  Out of all his fantastic performances, there are three that stick out in memory.  They are “Close Talkers” with Steve Martin and “Grapes” with Ashton Kutcher and Andy Samberg, and his rendition of George W. Bush.  They are all embedded after the break.

I am glad that Forte is leaving the show on his own terms to go out and pursue other opportunities.  We all know he star in an action-packed movie (MacGruber) and he has the comedic acting chops to continue to make us laugh no matter where he ends up.  I have no doubt he’ll make his way back to SNL in a guest spot at some point.  And if you’re a Parks and Recreation fan, you can look forward to an upcoming season 3 episode featuring Forte!  Happy trails, Will, and thanks for the laughs.

[Via MTVNews]