Bowen Yang Exits SNL: Why His Heartfelt Farewell Reveals Show's True Value

Taking to Instagram, Yang expressed gratitude for his experience on the show and the people he worked with. "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," he posted on his Instagram along with a carousel of photos.

He 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). 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 best."

In his post, Yang also reflected on lessons from his tenure, describing comedy as a process that often involves trial and error before it succeeds. He thanked the cast and crew of the show and gave a special mention to pop star Ariana Grande, his 'Wicked' co-star and the current week's SNL host, for what he described as a memorable send-off, as per Variety.

According to Variety, Yang is exiting Saturday Night Live midway through his eighth season on the show. He first joined SNL as a writer in 2018 for Season 44 before being promoted to a featured cast member in Season 45. He became a main cast member starting Season 47.

Yang's work on SNL earned him multiple Emmy nominations in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category in 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025.

Outside of SNL, Yang is widely known for the pop culture podcast Las Culturistas, which he co-hosts with comedian Matt Rogers. He also starred in the television series Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens from 2020 to 2023.

His film credits include Fire Island (2022), Dicks: The Musical (2023), The Wedding Banquet (2025), as well as upcoming projects Wicked and Wicked: For Good, according to Variety.

- ANI