Photo: Jason Mendez/WireImage

Kate McKinnonopened up about theSaturday Night Livemoments she cherishes most from her decade on the show.
“I will share two moments when I felt most connected,” McKinnon, 38, said on Vulture’sGood One podcast.
“One was afterHillary [Clinton]hadlost [the 2016 presidential election], and the cold open was me playing ‘Hallelujah’ on the piano,” she revealed. “I felt that for the people for whom that was a tragic event, I felt very connected and in a very real way.”
McKinnon continued, “I also felt really connected that first time when I did the alien abduction sketch. It was a completely different experience — people were laughing instead of crying — and yet it was the same recognition of, like,We’re all in this together, guys. We all feel the same way about something.”
Though McKinnon knew the sketch would be significant, she was surprised how hard it her on the night.
“I anticipated it being this moment of absolute release, and it was, in a way. But it certainly was not the most meaningful moment of the whole thing … Jesus Christ, Kate, come on, get it together,” she explained emotionally.
“It was not the most meaningful moment of the decade in the way that I thought it might be. The most meaningful moments, just looking back, were like—,” McKinnon trailed off into tears.
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Through the emotion, McKinnon shared details from a relatively normal moment that will serve as the best reminder of her final days on the job.
“The most meaningful moments were moments when, like on a Friday night at rehearsal, I decided to stop and look around at the people who I loved so much and just make a memory of it,” she continued.
“Nothing special — we were all just sitting around, andMikey [Day]was doing a bit, orAlex [Moffat]was doing a bit, and we were catching up and just looking around at the crew. Those are the moments that meant the most,” she shared.
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McKinnon wasn’t the only SNL star to leave at the end of season 37. She departed alongsidePete Davidson,Aidy BryantandKyle Mooney.
source: people.com