Bowen Yang, who joined Saturday Night Live as a writer in 2018, will leave the sketch comedy show mid-season after the episode hosted by Ariana Grande. The announcement came following Saturday’s broadcast, in which Yang appeared in promos alongside Grande and musical guest Cher. In an Instagram post, Yang wrote: “i loved working at SNL, and most of all i loved the people. i was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 rock taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile.”
Yang’s tenure on the show has spanned a decade. He became a featured player the season after joining as a writer, and was promoted to the main cast two seasons later. Over the years he earned five Emmy nominations, cementing his status as a fan favorite.
A representative for SNL declined to comment on Yang’s departure. The show’s spokesperson said no comment would be provided, and Yang’s representatives did not respond to email requests for comment.
Yang’s exit follows a wave of cast departures last summer, ahead of the October 4 start of Season 51. The exodus included Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, and John Higgins.
In September, Yang publicly discussed the possibility of leaving with the show’s creator, Lorne Michaels. He said he had mulled the idea with Michaels and received a vote of confidence that led him to stay at the time. Yang recounted the conversation: “Lorne was like, ‘You have more to do,’ and that means a lot, because I even confessed to him. I was like, ‘I feel the audience is maybe getting sick of me.’ And he was like, ‘That’s not true. There’s more for you to do. I need you,'”, Yang said.
Yang also praised Michaels’ influence on his career. He added: “That man has changed my life, and I owe a lot of my life to that show. And I love working there. The people are the best. I really love each of them so much.”
Beyond SNL, Yang co-hosts the pop-culture podcast Las Culturistas with fellow comedian Matt Rogers. The pair also hosted the spoof Las Culturista Culture Awards on Bravo last summer and announced on Instagram that they will return for more pop-culture comedy next year.
Yang’s acting credits extend to Broadway and film. He appeared in Wicked and Wicked: For Good as Pfannee, co-starred in the remade The Wedding Banquet, and featured in Dicks: The Musical and Fire Island in 2023. Earlier, he co-starred in Awkwafina is Nora from Queens from 2020 to 2023.
Mid-season departures from SNL are not unprecedented. Cecily Strong left the show in December 2022, setting a precedent for actors exiting during a season.
Yang’s most memorable bits on the show include his portrayal of the Titanic iceberg on Weekend Update, a straight-man George Santos who hooks up with Gina Gershon and Sydney Sweeney, a gay Oompa Loompa, and a spoof of Vice President JD Vance.
Yang, the son of Chinese immigrants, was featured on Esquire’s cover in October. In an interview accompanying the cover shoot, he said: “There’s an idea that all of what I do is queer and Asian, which I don’t think is true. I get sick of people reducing the work I do on the show to those identifiers.”
He reflected on his priorities: “Work, he said, “is not the most meaningful thing for me anymore. The things I like are spending time with friends, working every now and then, not being caged by it.””
Yang also recalled advice he received from Kristen Wiig when she hosted SNL. He remembered her saying: “Have fun. It’s the most fun job in the world, and you’ll miss it when it’s done. You won’t realize how much you miss it until you leave.”
Key Takeaways
- Yang will depart SNL mid-season after a decade of writing and performing.
- He cites new opportunities and a desire to focus on friends and other projects.
- His exit follows a broader trend of cast changes and follows a previous mid-season departure by Cecily Strong.
Closing paragraph: Yang’s departure marks the end of a significant chapter in his career. While fans will miss his sharp wit and memorable characters, he has expressed excitement for the next steps in his creative journey.
