Bowen Yang has been a prominent part of Saturday Night Live for the past seven years. However, it’s recently been announced that his time with the New York City-based sketch series has come to an end. Since then, fans have been wondering just why he is leaving SNL. Recently, a few sources have broken their silence over the story, including Yang himself.

Bowen Yang Became A Featured Player On Saturday Night Live For The 45th Season

Yang was hired as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live for the show’s 44th season. He was promoted to being a featured player on the show the following year.

In recent years, Yang has also become well-known for a number of projects. In 2024, for example, he played Pfannee in the film adaptation of the Wicked musical. He reprised the role in its 2025 sequel, Wicked: For Good.
Bowen Yang with Ariana Grande on ‘SNL’ – YouTube
According to Variety, it was recently announced that Yang is leaving Saturday Night Live after its most recent episode. The Saturday episode was also notable as it saw Yang reunite with his Wicked co-star Ariana Grande. During the holiday-themed episode, Cher also appeared as the show’s musical guest.

Since then, fans have been wondering why Yang is leaving the show. Notably, this also came out after a major cast overhaul on the long-running sketch comedy series. The year also saw Heidi Gardner, Devon Walker, Ego Nwodim, and Michael Longfellow leave the show.

Since the news has come out, however, Yang recently broke his silence on social media. Taking to Instagram, he shared, “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.”

During the post, Yang shared, “I’m grateful for every minute of my time there.” He also went on to list a large number of people who “showed up.” This included “friends and coworkers and audiences and hosts.”

Yang Hinted That His Time On The Show Could Have Been Shorter

Yang also took time to thank series creator Lorne Michaels. As he continued, “Thank you to Lorne for the job. for the standard. And for bringing everyone at work together.”

“They all care deeply about people in the room, any room, enjoying themselves. i can’t believe I was ever included in that. The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready, but s***, I hope I am.”
Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers – YouTube
Since this news has come out, fans have been wondering why Yang is leaving. Previously, the actor shared that he wasn’t planning on staying with the show long-term while speaking with People.

At the time, Yang shared, “SNL, it’s just this moving, living, breathing thing. Especially after the 50th, I’m seeing what life after the show is like and how beautiful it is, and how so many people, no matter how long they were at the show, are just with their families and loving their lives and not letting the years take away any of that experience for them.”

Speaking with the outlet back in September, Yang hinted that he might have stayed even longer than he originally planned thanks to Lorne Michaels. At the time, he shared that he discussed his future with the show with Michaels.

Some Well-Known Names Have Been Sharing Well-Wishes With Yang On Social Media

Yang shared, “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.’”

“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.”

An inside source also weighed in on Yang’s departure with The New York Post. At the time, they shared, “It’s his choice. People have no idea what is really going on. This has come out of the blue. But is no surprise.”

Ultimately, Yang might have given his reason during his final show. In a skit with Grande, while playing an airline worker during his last shift, he alluded to wanting to “go out on top.”

With Yang’s recent share on Instagram, fans have been sharing their reactions to seeing Yang leave SNL. This included some well-known figures, like actor Simu Liu, who shared, “Such a shining star and writer of the definitive best sketch on Asian representation. Love you my dongbei brother.”

Have you been following this story? Did you watch Bowen Yang on SNL? What is your reaction to his recent departure from the show? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.