Bowen Yangone of Saturday Night LiveKey cast members and comedy fan favorites have departed the comedy series after seven years of running. He started as a writer before being promoted to repertory player. Bowen took his final bow during the December 20, 2025 episode while… evil Co-star Ariana Grande Hosted.
So why did Bowen leave? SNL now? Here’s what we know about his midseason departure.
When did Bowen Yang leave? Saturday Night Live?
Bowen’s last episode on SNL It was December 20, 2025. He left before the holiday break.
Why did Bowen Yang leave? SNL?
Bowen wrote a heartfelt statement about his passing in an Instagram post shared on December 20. He insisted that he “loves working in… SNLBowen added that he “loved the people” he worked with.
“I was there at a time when many things in the world were starting to seem pointless, but working on 30 Rock taught me the value of showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile,” he wrote. “I’m grateful for every minute I was there. I learned about myself (bad with wigs). I learned about others (generous, vulnerable, sexy). I learned that human error can only be wrong. I learned that comedy is mostly logistical and that it usually fails until it doesn’t fail, which is for the best.”
In a January 7, 2026 conversation on his podcast “Las Culturistas”, Bowen revealed the reason for his exit: time.
“That’s honestly what’s behind it: It’s about time. You’ll do seven seasons, and then you’ll hit the ground running,” he noted. “The coronavirus and the current media landscape, and the current entertainment ecosystem, are so disrupted that people either have perfectly good reasons to stay longer, or, in many cases, don’t have the privilege of staying as long as they want to. I have this very beautiful thing where I can say I stayed exactly as long as I wanted to.”
Although some fans were shocked by his departure, Bowen’s exit was actually a topic of discussion. While talking to the people In September 2025 – amid a major cast change – evil The actor said he felt he still had “more to do.” SNL And he wanted to stay.
“I’ve always followed my instinct, ‘Do I have more to do? And I feel like I do,'” Bowen told the outlet. “[Creator] Lorne [[Michaels]He was like, “You have more to do,” and that’s saying a lot, because I even admitted to him… “I feel like the audience is probably getting tired of me.” He said: This is not true. There’s more to do. i need you.'”
Bowen added that he had to “respect that,” referring to what Lorne told him. He also gave credit to SNL The content creator who gave his entertainment career a springboard.
“This man changed my life, and I owe so much of my life to this show,” Bowen continued. “And I love working there. The people are the best. I really love every single one of them so much.”
Bowen Yang says he left ‘SNL’ because he “never felt central” to the show.
“I never played the straight father or teacher. I was always there as spice.”
Stream the full #ActorsOnActors episode now on the CNN app: https://t.co/jrgGNUUacv pic.twitter.com/20bCJrP3UK
– Variety (@Variety) June 8, 2026
But Bowen changed his tune about it SNL coming out during Variety’s June 2026 interview with “Actors on Actors.” Rachel Sinnott.
“I feel like I was kind of firm the previous season about leaving,” he noted. “I never felt like I was central to it, to be honest, because I feel like…I feel like there’s a weird benefit to me where I’m like, ‘Okay.’ And I’ve accepted that. It’s like I’m not playing the straight-up father or teacher role. I’ve always been there like a spice, and I’m like, ‘This is great.’ I am very lucky. I can’t believe I have this job. I can’t believe I have a steady job in comedy. amazing. amazing. I will cherish it for the rest of my life, and I felt like it was the right time.
Who is left? SNL?
Quite a few fan favorites SNL Players left the show before its 51st season. And he was among them devon walker, Emil Wakim, michael longfellow, Heidi Gardner and Ego nodim.
When Ego’s exit made headlines, she spoke about her departure in an emotional Instagram post in September 2025. “The hardest part of a great gig is knowing when to say ‘goodnight,'” she wrote. But after seven unforgettable seasons, she has decided to leave. SNL“.
Ego stated that she was “extremely grateful to Lauren for this opportunity,” and thanked her colleagues, writers, and staff. SNL The crew “for their brilliance, support and friendship.”
She concluded: “Week after week, that stage taught me more than I could have imagined, and I will always carry with me those memories and that laugh.”
