Bowen Yang opens up about closing 'SNL' chapter for good

Bowen Yang announced his departure from Saturday Night Live ahead of his last episode on the show, which is a Christmas special with his friend, Ariana Grande.

The 35-year-old actor and comedian took to Instagram and shared an emotional note in the caption, alongside a carousel from his highlights on the show where he was a regular cast member for seven years.

The Wicked star wrote, “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,” in his post on December 20.

Yang noted that he feels “grateful” for every minute of his time at the show, and the lessons he learnt, after joining the late-night show as a writer in 2018, and appearing in sketches a year later.

The podcast host made his exit after a series of cast members left the show ahead of Season 51.

Yang clarified that there is no bad blood behind his decision to depart from the show, thanking the creator, Lorne Michaels, and his co-stars at the comedy show.

The fan-favourite comedian has previously expressed his desire to focus full-time on his acting career after parting ways with the regular SNL schedule.