After several cast members were fired before the start of “Saturday Night Live” Season 51, along with a small group of new faces joining the featured cast, the late-night sketch comedy series is losing one of its most valuable stars.
Vulture reports that Bowen Yang will leave “SNL” after the Dec. 20 episode hosted by his “Wicked” franchise co-star, Ariana Grande. Yang has proven to be one of the show’s most reliable and impactful stars, delivering many memorable bits and recurring characters over the course of seven seasons. The comedian actually started as just a writer in season 44 in 2018 before becoming a featured cast member in 2019, making him the first Asian cast member in the show’s history and only the second openly gay cast member ever.
Yang’s star profile has been growing steadily of late, with roles in films like “The Wedding Banquet” and “The Garfield Movie,” in addition to his supporting role in the “Wicked” films (not to mention his popular podcast “Las Culturistas” with Matt Rogers). Honestly, it was kind of surprising when Yang returned for season 51, having previously told People:
“I’ve always followed the instinct: do I have more to do? And I feel like I do. Even [‘SNL’ boss] Lorne [Michaels] and I talked about it, and Lorne said, “You still have work to do,” and that means a lot, because I even confessed to him. I was like, “I feel like maybe the audience is sick of me. » And he said to me: “That’s not true. You still have a lot to do. I need you.’”
However, Yang hasn’t been as prominent throughout Season 51 so far, especially with star player Ashley Padilla becoming a popular cast member. So maybe Yang reconsidered her decision and decided to go out with a bang for the Christmas episode.
Bowen Yang leaves behind a hilarious legacy at SNL
Bowen Yang has been an invaluable member of the “SNL” cast, carving out an impressive legacy. There are countless items from the Weekend Update that Yang knocked out of the park, as well as numerous sketches that benefited from his presence.
Perhaps the best and most viral moment of the weekend update came when Yang became the iceberg that sank the Titanic in quite melodramatic fashion:
Elsewhere, Yang caused plenty of laughs when he claimed he had been straight this whole time and had hooked up with presenter Sydney Sweeney:
Likewise, when Ariana Grande hosted “SNL” in 2024, Yang came face-to-face with the star during a family game night that got a little too intense:
And that’s just a small sample of Yang’s greatness, which also includes the likes of JD Vance, George Santos and Kim Jong-un. Will Yang get a big farewell like several departing actors have been given in the past? We certainly hope so, but it’s also the Christmas episode, so it might be difficult. However, the winter season would be the ideal time to bring back this iceberg.
We can’t wait to see whatever Bowen Yang does next.
