Kristen Wiig has joined the ranks of Gilda Radner, Molly Shannon and Amy Poehler as one of the unforgettable alums who made millions laugh on Saturday Night Live.
The 38-year-old ended her seven-year run May 19, one month after Us Weekly exclusively reported that it would be her last season. "Kristen was talking about leaving a while ago," an insider said of the Bridesmaids star. "With her movie success, it's no surprise."
After joining the sketch comedy series in 2005, Wiig became a fan favorite thanks to her spot-on celebrity impressions (Kris Jenner, Bjork, Kathie Lee Gifford) and over-the-top characters (Target Lady, Gilly, Mindy Grayson). As a result, she earned three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.
PHOTOS: KRISTEN WIIG'S BEST SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE CHARACTERS AND IMPERSONATIONS
According to executive producer Lorne Michaels, 67, Wiig was a star from the start. "There are two people who arrived fully formed -- her and Dana Carvey -- where you saw what they did in their audition and you put it on the air," he told TIME in 2011. "She has that thing that Phil Hartman and Dan Aykroyd had, which is absolute precision, but also this lightness that isn't what they had."
Wiig recently finished production on the movie Imogen, and now that she's done with Saturday Night Live, she plans to direct and "live in Paris and paint," she said on Here's the Thing With Alec Baldwin in April. "I want to do a lot of different things."
This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Kristen Wiig Leaves Saturday Night Live: Her Best Characters and Impersonations
