Bowen Yang breaks silence about his shock, mid-season Saturday Night Live exit

After eight seasons on Saturday Night Live (SNL), comedian Bowen Yang bowed out with a mid-season exit on Saturday (20 December). The decision, however, has left many fans asking: why?

The Wicked star, who was the first Asian SNL cast member, has made numerous memorable appearances on the show, like the time he roasted JK Rowling while dressed as Dobby the elf. His last show was a farewell featuring Ariana Grande as host and Cher as the musical guest. 

Bowen Yang broke his silence about leaving SNL on Instagram, writing: “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.”

His post was accompanied by photos of him and his castmates through the years, behind the scenes and preparing for skits.

Yang also continued: “I’m grateful for every minute of my time there. I learned about myself (bad with wigs). I learned about others (generous, vulnerable, hot).

The comedian furthered: “I learned that human error can be nothing but correct. I learned that comedy is mostly logistics and that it will usually fail until it doesn’t, which is the besssst.”

Yang went on to list the names of all those who have helped him backstage, including the cast and SNL big boss Lorne Michaels.

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Why did Bowen Yang leave SNL?

Though Yang’s farewell message didn’t offer an exact reason for his departure, he had previously mentioned that he believes he has more to offer beyond the SNL stage.

In 2019, speaking to People, he shared: “I’ve always gone by the instinct of, do I have more to do? And I feel like I do.”

“Even [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.’”

Yang continued: “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.”

So now that Yang is spreading his wings beyond SNL, we’re sure there are exciting things to come.

He’s already broadened his acting career with roles in The Wedding Banquet, Fire Island, Bros and Wicked. He is expected to voice a character in the Cat in the Hat animated film due to be released next year.

Also on the horizon is the Las Culturistas Awards, a spin-off event from the podcast Yang co-hosts with Matt Rogers.