Bill Hader leaving 'Saturday Night Live' after eight seasons

NEW YORK, May 14 (UPI) -- Comedian Bill Hader says he is leaving the U.S. sketch comedy series "Saturday Night Live" after eight seasons.

"It was a hard decision, but it has to happen at some point," the 34-year-old performer told The New York Times. "It got to a point where I said, 'Maybe it's just time to go.'"

Hader is now expected to focus full time on his film career. He has previously worked on the movies "Superbad," "Adventureland," "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and "Tropic Thunder."

Seth Meyers was recently announced as the new host of "Late Night" while his "SNL" co-stars Fred Armisen and Jason Sudeikis have been making a lot of movies lately, sparking speculation they, too, will be leaving the show.

"I think they're making their decisions and we'll know soon enough," "SNL" executive producer Lorne Michaels told the Times about Armisen and Sudeikis. "I've said what I wanted to say to both. You never keep anybody there who doesn't want to be there, and there is a right time to leave, but it's more about where they are in their lives."