MacGruber and Will Forte Move on from 'Saturday Night Live'

MacGruber and Andy the "Ohhhhhhh Noooooo!" guy are done on "Saturday Night Live." The actor who portrays them, Will Forte, has decided to not return for a ninth season on the show. The departure from the show is completely amicable, however, and Forte simply wants to pursue other opportunities that will likely become available to him.

In its 36 seasons on the air, "SNL" has acted as the launching pad to numerous cast members' careers. Forte, who starred in a movie this past summer based on his MacGruber character, is just one more cast member looking to take advantage of his "SNL" success. After all, there comes a time in an actor's career when it's just time to move on and pursue success elsewhere. At 40 years old, the time has come for Forte to cash in on his "SNL" success.

Consider the success of the following, more recent "SNL" graduates:

- Will Ferrell

- Tina Fey

- Jimmy Fallon

- Adam Sandler

- David Spade

Will Ferrell has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success on the big screen since his departure from "SNL". Starring in such movies as "Anchorman," "Talladega Nights," "Stranger Than Fiction" and "Step Brothers," Ferrell has enjoyed much success at the box office. Ferrell has two Golden Globe Award nominations for his performances in "Stranger Than Fiction" and "The Producers."

Tina Fey was one of the lead writers on "SNL," and continues to enjoy a successful career since she left the show. As a lead writer for her hit comedy series "30 Rock," Fey has won three Emmy Awards for her writing contributions, and has been nominated for a fourth award. She has also won two Golden Globes and is nominated for a third for her acting in "30 Rock."

While Jimmy Fallon may not have enjoyed tremendous box office success, he successfully took over Conan O'Brien's spot to host "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." That's not a bad gig to have on your resume, especially when you're nominated for a Primetime Emmy.

Adam Sandler has enjoyed hit after hit since his departure from the "SNL" cast. Portraying characters in both comedic and serious roles, Sandler has delivered in such films as "Happy Gilmore," "The Wedding Singer," "Punch Drunk Love," "Spanglish," "Reign Over Me" and "Funny People." He even has a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in "Punch Drunk Love".

David Spade has seen more success on the small screen in such shows as "Just Shoot Me" and "Rules of Engagement," and has Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations for his performance in "Just Shoot Me."

With the success of this short list of "SNL" graduates, Forte is certain to find success in his other pursuits. It seems that those who have left to pursue other career interests have achieved much success since their departures, so why shouldn't Forte demonstrate the same success? Now he will have the chance to show the world what he's really capable of outside of sketch comedy.

NY Times

IMDB: Will Ferrell

IMDB: Tina Fey

IMDB: Jimmy Fallon

IMDB: Adam Sandler

IMDB: David Spade