SNL’ Shocker: Bowen Yang to Exit Cast After Saturday’s Episode

Bowen Yang is leaving "Saturday Night Live" during his eighth season on the show. His final appearance as a cast member will be in this Saturday's episode, which is hosted by his "Wicked" co-star Ariana Grande and has Cher as the musical guest.

Representatives for Yang and "Saturday Night Live" did not provide any comment.

Yang first joined "SNL" as a writer in 2018 for Season 44.

 He became a featured player during Season 45 and was promoted to the main cast starting with Season 47. His work on the show earned him Emmy nominations for supporting comedy actor in 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025.

This exit comes after a big wave of cast members leaving before Season 51, which started on October 4.

 Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, and John Higgins have all recently left the late-night sketch show. Higgins' departure was announced at the same time as his fellow Please Don't Destroy member Martin Herlihy moved to the writing staff, and Ben Marshall moved to the featured cast.

It's unusual, though not completely surprising, for Yang to leave "SNL" before Season 51 is done.

 Other notable midseason exits in the show's history include Cecily Strong, Molly Shannon, Dana Carvey, Eddie Murphy, and Norm Macdonald, although Macdonald left because he was fired.

Besides "SNL," Yang is well known for the pop culture podcast "Las Culturistas," which he co-hosts with his friend and fellow comedian Matt Rogers.

 From 2020 to 2023, he starred in "Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens." In addition to "Wicked" and "Wicked: For Good," Yang has appeared in films like "The Wedding Banquet" (2025), "Dicks: The Musical" (2023), and "Fire Island" (2022).