Heidi Gardner says she's 'always open' to an “SNL” return

Wesley StenzelTue, April 14, 2026 at 7:41 PM UTC

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Heidi Gardner on 'Saturday Night Live'Credit: Leanne Diaz/NBCKey Points -

Heidi Gardner left Saturday Night Live in August of last year.

The actress tells Entertainment Weekly that she's 'open' to returning to the show.

Gardner also talks about the close relationships she developed during her time as an SNL cast member.

Heidi Gardner exited SNL ahead of its 51st season in August — but she hasn't ruled out coming back to the show one day.

The comedian recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly about her guest appearance on The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. When asked if she'd consider returning to Saturday Night Live, whether in a cameo or another capacity, Gardner responds, "Oh my gosh, I'm always open to those things!"

Heidi Gardner on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' on Jan. 20, 2026Credit: Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty

The actress performed in Studio 8H from 2017 until 2025, which means it's been nearly a decade since she consistently enjoyed anything resembling a normal work schedule or typical weekends. What's she been doing with her newfound free time?

"This is such a weird thing to say, but I love going to used bookstores, and just looking at books and not having an agenda," Garder explains. "The fact that I could go to every section of the bookstore and just leaf through as many books as I want and take my time… I could go into a store when I was on SNL, but I kind of had a purpose and it was like, 'I'm here to get this one thing, and then I have to get out of here and then I have to get to 30 Rock.'"

She continues, "It is just nice to have time and space and for your brain to think about different things. I feel creative in such a different way."

Gardner began multiple lifelong friendships during her time at SNL, and shouts out two of her former cast mates to whom she feels especially close: Ego Nwodim, who also departed the series in September, and Mikey Day, who is currently in his 10th season as a performer on the show.

"Ego and I — it's funny, we only shared a dressing room for one year," she says. "But we were inside the building together for seven years, and that was just one of those times where it's like — you make so many amazing relationships on that show. Mikey is my actual brother, a real brother because of the way he makes me feel."

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Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner in New York City on Nov. 21, 2019Credit: Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan via Getty

She continues, "But I guess I didn't expect to get such a best friend in Ego. I know she and I were doing the same job, so we understand each other in a different way than you do with your other friends. But that was one of the coolest things that I got to do — be on SNL, and I got a best friend too. It's like, what?"

Gardner hopes that her professional relationship with Nwodim is only just beginning. "I definitely want to work with Ego for the rest of my life," she says.

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The actress has five films in her upcoming slate, including the upcoming sixth Scary Movie. Though she can't share much about her role in the movie, she also can't contain her enthusiasm for the project's stars and co-writers, Shawn and Marlon Wayans.

"The Wayans family was my entire childhood and adolescence. The hardest I laughed was watching their comedy," Gardner says. "So getting to be on their set, you know, Shawn and Marlon were there during every scene just pitching jokes — it was the funniest and most freeing stuff."

The actress says that the screenwriting duo's approach to comedy filmmaking was reinvigorating. "Sometimes you can take comedy so seriously, and they do that, but they also just get what just makes people laugh unconsciously, you know?" she says. "And they just reminded me again how simple it can really be, and how fun it can be to be that silly. That was one of the most special moments of my life, is to be on their set. It's just incredible."

on Entertainment Weekly

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