Melissa Villaseñor shares that she left SNL for her mental health
. “I gave myself a lot of time in the summer to think on it and kind of play out in my head if I go back. At the end of the day it was about my mental health. Last season, I had a couple of panic attacks. I think it was just… I was struggling. I always felt like I was on the edge of a cliff every week. And I was like, I don’t want to be doing that to myself anymore. And it’s not like the show was mean towards me or anyone. It was just how I handle things.
”history as the show’s first Latina cast member, working on the show for six seasons and establishing herself as a resident impersonator. Despite feeling the need to depart“I love Lorne [Michaels] and I am so grateful for all of them for having me,” she adds. “I shared with them that this was my kid dream. 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.