Martin Herlihy Exits ‘SNL’ After Five Seasons

Martin Herlihy confirmed he will not return for SNL’s season 52, ending a five‑year stint that began when the absurdist trio Please Don’t Destroy joined the show in 2021.

The trio arrived as writers‑performers, delivering pre‑recorded sketches that quickly built a cult following. Their early work included a tongue‑in‑cheek music video about “Three Sad Virgins,” starring former cast member Pete Davidson and a cameo by Taylor Swift, as well as a high‑school‑senior spoof with Brendan Gleeson that pivoted on the joke that Gleeson was secretly a 67‑year‑old Irishman. Those pieces helped cement the group’s non‑sequitur, rapid‑fire style as a regular fixture in the episode line‑up.

Inside the writers’ room the dynamics shifted after season 50. Ben Marshall was promoted to featured cast member, John Higgins left for other opportunities, and Herlihy remained purely as a writer. The change coincided with a noticeable dip in his on‑screen exposure; the once‑almost‑every‑episode digital short became a rarity, and his most recent pretaped sketches arrived only late in his tenure. Adding a personal dimension, Herlihy is the son of Tim Herlihy, a longtime Adam Sandler collaborator and former SNL head writer, a lineage that has long intertwined with the show’s comedy DNA.

Outside the NBC umbrella, Please Don’t Destroy has stayed active, touring live shows and releasing a 2025 special and documentary titled Please Don’t Destroy LIVE. Herlihy has also pursued acting roles in projects such as Happy Gilmore 2, The Breadwinner, and the group’s own short The Treasure of Foggy Mountain. Those external commitments, combined with the reduced on‑air platform, likely influenced his decision to step away, though he has not disclosed a detailed rationale.

Herlihy’s exit underscores a broader pattern of talent turnover as SNL recalibrates its writer roster after the 2025 trio split. Whether the show will replace his absurdist edge with a different comedic voice remains an open question, and Herlihy’s next professional focus will be watched by fans of both the sketch‑show format and his burgeoning film work.