This is no laughing matter: Saturday Night Live (SNL), the popular sketch-comedy show, recently fired at least four freshmen performers.

Noel Wells, Nasim Pedrad, Brooks Wheelan and John Milhiser were all let go. One fired SNL performer took to Twitter to express humor about being fired, and for another, departure was already predicted.

Wheelan took to his Twitter Page last Monday to express his gratitude and humor over his firing. Wheelan wrote, "Had a blast and loved every second of it." In typical SNL opening show fashion, Wheelan tweeted, "I'm totally honored to be able to make this next joke... FIRED FROM NEW YORK IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!"

Wheelan, 27, was among six or seven of the new hires in SNL's 39th Season. Wheelen, Wells, Milhiser, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett, Michael Patrick O'Brien and Sasheer Zamata were the newest additions. Both Wheelan and Milhiser had very little screen time, but when they did, they were not memorable.  

Wells did a hilarious comedy sketch of playing Lena Dunham -- in the season premiere's parody of "Girls" -- as well as playing Emma Stone and Nancy Grace, Deadline reported. And O'Brien had memorable scenes in sketches, such as "Bird Bible," "Elevator" and others. But audiences only got a sliver of Milhiser when he did cameos and a Jon Cryer impersonation.

As for as Pedrad, who has been on the show since 2009, her departure was perhaps already known. In the coming fall, Pedrad will be joining the cast of the Fox comedy "Mulaney." The show is produced by the main SNL producer Lorne Michaels, Huffington Post reported.

In June of this year, BuzzFeed reported that Pedrad had not heard any "official word so far" about her further time with SNL. But Pedrad added that she loved her new coming show "Mulaney." The other sign that indicated Pedrad would not be returning to SNL was that she was living in Los Angeles.

"I have an apartment in LA, and as far as I know, I'm in LA now," Pedrad said, BuzzFeed reported.

Some SNL alums offered up some advice. Andy Samberg, a former SNL member from 2005 to 2012, stated, at a Television Critics Association set visit to Fox's "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," there is life after the show. Samberg provided more optimistic words to the fired cast members, "If you were hired ... there's something good going on with you," Newsday reported.

But another SNL performer's career hangs in the balance. It has been reported that O'Brien was a writer on the show for four years, and he was promoted to feature performer last year. As I write this article, O'Brien's future is unsure, Deadline reported. Some speculate that he could be sent back to the writing staff, or the show could create a way for him to have more screen time, if indeed he decides to stay on.

Whatever happens, SNL officials are not saying anything. Since the announced firings and Wheelan's tweets, a representative for SNL stated that they do not comment on "casting rumors or changes," the New York Daily News reported.