Melissa Villaseñor Shares the Reason She Decided to Leave SNL

Villaseñor, who became best known for her uncanny impressions of celebrities like Dolly Parton and Dua Lipa, was quick to acknowledge that her departure wasn’t the fault of anybody involved with SNL.

“It’s not like the show was mean towards me or anyone,” she explained. “It was just how I handle things. I’m an introvert. When I’m in a big group of a lot of amazing people, and everyone’s speaking over everyone else, I tend to get small. I get nervous, like, ‘Where do I fit? What am I supposed to do?’ That’s how I was in high school, too. I think that’s what caused it.”

Still, Villaseñor admitted the decision “was super hard” and she’ll always have love and appreciation for Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels.

“I shared with them that this was my kid dream,” the 35-year-old said. “This is all I wanted as a kid. So I’m going to carry that forever in my heart, that I got to experience that in my life.”