Cecily Strong says her return to Saturday Night Live is 'up in the air'

It's still unclear if longtime Saturday Night Live cast member Cecily Strong will be returning or not to the NBC sketch show this fall, but the comedian insists she'd be "thrilled" with either outcome.

"I'll be thrilled if I go back, I'll be thrilled if that was my last show," Strong, who has appeared on the iconic variety series for nine seasons, told Entertainment Tonight while promoting her new Apple TV+ series with Schmigadoon!. "I feel good either way.

During the show's season 46 finale back in May, Strong, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Kenan Thompson hinted that they may be departing the show. The emotional moment occurred in front of the first full audience welcomed to 30 Rockefeller Plaza since the COVID-19 shutdown and Strong reveals the struggles of this past year have allowed her to make peace with whatever decision is made.

For now, "things are a bit more up in the air and I'm okay with that," Strong says of the uncertainty surrounding her involvement next season. "My lesson from last year is sort of see what happens."

Thankfully, the musical comedy Schmigadoon! isn't a major departure from her work on the SNL stage, which frequently featured her belting out reworked tunes from classics like The Sound of Music and Les Misérables. And let's not forget her performance of My Way while in character as Judge Jeanine Pirro. The production follows a couple (Strong and Keegan-Michael Key) that embarks on a backpacking trip in an attempt to save their relationship, only to find themselves stuck in a 1940s musical town.

The small screen venture is also an SNL family affair, with Lorne Michaels producing, Fred Armisen among the cast, and Bowen Yang serving as one of the show's writers.

Schmigadoon! debuts on AppleTV+ on July 16.

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