Bowen Yang will take the Studio 8H stage for the final time on Saturday’s “SNL.”
The beloved actor will leave the NBC sketch show following this Saturday, Dec. 20, episode, which will feature Ariana Grande as host and Cher as musical guest. In a lengthy post shared on Instagram on Saturday, Yang penned an emotional farewell to her time on the iconic sketch show.
“I loved working at SNL and, most of all, I loved the people,” Yang’s post read. “I was there at a time when a lot of things in the world were starting to seem futile, but working at 30 Rock taught me the importance of still showing up when people are worth it. I’m grateful for every minute of my time there. I learned about myself (bad with wigs). I learned about other people (generous, vulnerable, sexy),” he continued. “I learned that human error can be just okay. I learned that comedy is all about logistics and that it usually fails until it doesn’t succeed, which is best.”
This is a surprise exit for Yang, who first joined the cast as a writer in 2018 for season 44. After one season as a writer, Yang joined the cast as a featured player for season 45 and was promoted to the main cast in season 47. Yang earned five Emmy nominations during his time on “SNL,” including four nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and one for exceptional writing for a variety series.
Before Yang makes her final appearance on “SNL,” take a look back at some of her most iconic sketches.
The iceberg that sank the Titanic
Yang brought the iceberg that sank the Titanic to life during the 46th season of “SNL” — a move that surprised even him. While speaking to Jimmy Fallon in May 2021, he explained how the sketch came to life.
“[Drezen] texted me in February: “Hey, maybe for the April 10th show, for the Titanic anniversary, you can play the iceberg that sank the Titanic,” Yang began. “And I was like, ‘Yeah… Cool… Maybe. Of course.” April comes over and I text her, ‘Hey, were you serious about this iceberg idea?’ And she’s like, ‘I totally forgot about that. Let’s do it. Why not?’
“The whole week we were doing it, we were kind of losing our minds because we kept looking at each other and bursting out laughing,” he added. Despite the fact that both men thought the sketch wouldn’t air, it ultimately did.
“That was a long time ago. I did a lot of thinking about trying to move past that,” Yang told Colin Jost as an iceberg during the episode. “It’s a very small part of me, but there’s so much going on beneath the surface that you can’t see.”
George Santos: scandal in the wind
Yang last played former Congressman George Santos in December 2023, delivering a cold, open set to “Candle in the Wind” in his character’s style.
In an episode of “SNL Sketch Rewind,” Yang explained his portrayal of Santos: “George Santos happened in January 2023. I had been doing some very tentative runs to the office that Monday and I was like, ‘Is anyone going to play him?’ I went to the ‘[Weekend] Updating the desktop and I was like, “I think I have an idea.” »
Heterosexual friend
Yang teamed up with Travis Kelce for the sketch “Straight Male Friend” during the football player’s stint in March 2023. Yang played a gay man who felt overwhelmed by his friendships with straight women and decided to approach a straight man instead.
What followed was a perfect inversion of familiar rom-com dynamics, with Yang’s character marveling at the maintainability of friendship while Kelce’s heterosexual pal offered blunt honesty, emotional simplicity, and an almost comical lack of introspection.
The duo also highlighted Yang’s talent for elevating guest hosts by giving them roles that build on their public persona without overshadowing the banter. Kelce’s laid-back charm played perfectly with Yang’s anxious, hyper-verbal energy, resulting in one of the most memorable sketches of the season and another example of how Yang had become one of “SNL’s” most reliable comedic hosts at this point in his tenure.
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In the sketch, Yang appears as Moo Deng, the beloved viral baby pygmy hippo, although his performance is less of an animal impersonation than a sly send-up of pop star Chappell Roan. At the time, Roan openly discussed the intense pressures that accompanied his rapid rise to fame, and Yang’s character clearly reflected that experience.
“In the last 10 weeks, I’ve been walking non-stop. Running, eating lettuce, trying to bite water from a pipe,” said Moo Deng of Yang. “Reminder, women don’t owe you anything. When I’m in my pen tripping over things, biting my trainer’s knee, I’m at work. Don’t yell my name or wait for a photo just because I’m your parasocial best friend or because you appreciate my talent.”
Colin Jost pointed out the comparison during the sketch, telling Moo Deng: “I have to say, Moo Deng, your life is a lot like Chappell Roan’s these days. Do you know Chappell Roan?”
“I have 10 weeks, Colin. Of course, I know Chappell Roan. And by the way, leave her alone. Let her take as much time as she needs for her mental health,” Yang replied. “That’s what society does. It puts young women on pedestals and then knocks them down with shells.”
Soul Cycle Instructor
Yang memorably skewered the sometimes-cult absurdity of a SoulCycle class in a 2019 sketch that quickly became one of his first notable moments on “Saturday Night Live.” Appearing during his first season as a featured player – after spending Season 44 on the draft team – Yang played the role of one of the hyper-intense instructors leading a room full of runners through an aggressive motivational workout. As the class progressed, the instructors told increasingly bizarre and shared personal anecdotes.
The SoulCycle parody became a defining moment of Yang’s first season, helping cement him as a star player with real staying power and signaling the start of his rise as one of the most distinctive voices on “SNL.”
