Bowen Yang, one of Saturday Night Live‘s main cast members and comedy fan favorite, left the sketch comedy series after seven years with the show. He started as a writer before being promoted to a repertory player. Bowen took his final bow during the December 20, 2025, episode, while his Wicked co-star Ariana Grande hosted.
So, why did Bowen leave SNL now? Here is what we know about his midseason departure.
When Did Bowen Yang Leave Saturday Night Live?
Bowen’s last episode on SNL was on December 20, 2025. He left before the holiday break.
Why Did Bowen Yang Leave SNL?
Bowen penned a heartfelt statement about his departure in an Instagram post shared on December 20. Insisting that he “loved working at SNL,” Bowen added that he “loved the people” he worked with.
“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 wrote. “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 besssst.”
In a January 7, 2026, conversation on his “Las Culturistas” podcast, Bowen revealed the reason behind his exit: time.
“This is honestly what’s behind it: It’s time. You would do seven seasons, and then you would scoot,” he noted. “COVID and the current media landscape, the current entertainment ecosystem, is so turbulent that people have completely valid reasons for staying longer, or, in a lot of cases, don’t have the privilege of staying on as long as they would like to. I have this very beautiful thing where I get to say that I stayed on exactly as long as I wanted to.”
Despite some fans being shocked by his departure, Bowen’s exit has actually been a topic of discussion. While speaking to People in September 2025 — amid a highly publicized cast shakeup — the Wicked actor said that he felt he still “had more to do” on SNL and wanted to stay.
“I’ve always gone by the instinct of, do I have more to do? And I feel like I do,” Bowen told the outlet. “[Creator] Lorne [Michaels] was like, ‘You have more to do,’ and that means a lot, because I even confessed to him… ‘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.’”
Bowen added that he had “to honor that,” referring to what Lorne told him. He also credited the SNL creator with giving his entertainment career a springboard.
“That man has changed my life, and I owe a lot of my life to that show,” Bowen continued. “And I love working there, the people are the best. I really love each of them so much.”
Bowen Yang says he left “SNL” because he “never felt central” to the show.
“I never played the dad or the straight-man teacher. I was always kind of there as the seasoning.”
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— Variety (@Variety) June 8, 2026
Bowen changed his tone, however, about his SNL exit during his June 2026 Variety “Actors on Actors” interview with Rachel Sennott.
“I feel like I was kind of resolute the season before about leaving,” he pointed out. “I never felt like I was that central to it, to be honest, because I feel like … I feel like there was a weird utility to me where I was like, “OK.” And I’ve accepted this. It’s like I never played the dad or the straight man teacher. I was always kind of there as the seasoning, and I’m like, “That’s great. I’m so lucky. I can’t believe I have this job. I can’t believe I have a steady job in comedy.” Wow. Amazing. I will cherish it for the rest of my life, and I just felt like it was the right time.”
Who Else Left SNL?
Quite a few fan-favorite SNL players left the show ahead of its 51st season. Among them were Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow, Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim.
When Ego’s exit made headlines, she addressed her departure in a heartfelt Instagram post in September 2025. She wrote, “The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say ‘goodnight.’ But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL.”
Stating that she was “immensely grateful to Lorne for the opportunity,” Ego thanked her castmates, the writers and the SNL crew “for their brilliance, support and friendship.”
“Week after week on that stage taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and I will carry those memories, and that laughter, with me always,” she concluded.
