Bowen Yang Announces Departure from Saturday Night Live

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In a surprising turn of events, it was announced this week that the iconic sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live, is set to bid farewell to one of its standout performers. Bowen Yang, a staple of the show for over seven seasons, is officially departing the series.

Fans were taken aback by the news, particularly given Yang’s unexpected mid-season departure. However, for those who have followed his recent comments, there may have been subtle clues pointing to his eventual exit.

Initially, it appeared that Bowen Yang had intended to remain with the cast through the entirety of Season 51. In an interview with People prior to the season’s launch, he dispelled rumors of his imminent departure, emphasizing his ongoing commitment and saying he felt he still had more to offer the audience:

Bowen Signed On For Season 51

It seemed like Bowen was previously committed to being a cast member for the entirety of Season 51. Before the season premiere, he shared with People that the rumors of his exit weren’t true, and that he knew he still had more to give audiences:

I’ve always gone by the instinct of, do I have more to do? And I feel like I do. Even Lorne [Michaels] and I talked about it, and 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.’

Headshot Of Bowen Yang

Sadly, Bowen won’t see the entire season through. It was announced that his very last show would be on December 20th, 2025, where Ariana Grande would appear as a guest.

Bowen Made SNL History

Bowen leaves behind an impressive legacy on SNL, both as the first Chinese American cast member and as one of the show’s first openly gay cast members. As of this article’s writing, Bowen hasn’t cited a reason for exiting the show, though he’s recently taken on more scripted projects, such as the Wicked films.

Bowen Yang Spills Wicked And SNL Secrets

While Bowen has yet to release a statement about his exit, he previously praised its creator Lorne Michaels about the impact he had on his life:

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.

Only time will tell what the next step of Bowen’s career has in store for him.