Bowen Yang reflects on emotional 'SNL' exit and final sketch

Bowen Yang is reflecting on his Saturday Night Live journey with gratitude and pride.

The comedian officially signed off from SNL after seven seasons during the show’s December 20 broadcast, appearing in an emotional final sketch alongside Ariana Grande and Cher. 

Yang joined the cast in 2019, making history as SNL’s first Chinese American cast member and one of its first openly gay stars. He also earned five Emmy nominations during his run.

Three weeks after his final episode, Yang opened up about his departure on the Wednesday, January 7 episode of the Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang podcast, titled Exit Interview (The Cathartic Episode).

“This is honestly what's behind it: It's time. You would do seven seasons, and then you would scoot,” Yang said.

He explained that recent changes in the entertainment industry influenced many cast members’ decisions to stay longer. 

“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,” he said. 

“I have this very beautiful thing where I get to say that I stayed on exactly as long as I wanted to.”

Yang previously told People magazine in April 2025 that he knew he would leave the show someday but wasn’t sure when. 

“I was maybe unsure about going back in the summer, and I'm so glad I did,” he added on the podcast.

Reflecting on his final sketch—where he played a Delta One Lounge employee on his last shift—Yang admitted he feared it might be cut. 

“I was like 'there's a million reasons why I could get cut. Nothing is guaranteed,'” he said, adding that he ultimately felt “so grateful.”