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

Bowen Yang is exiting “Saturday Night Live” in the middle of his eighth season on the show. His last turn as a cast member will be this Saturday’s episode, which is being hosted by his “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande with Cher as musical guest.

Representatives for Yang and “Saturday Night Live” declined to comment.

Yang first joined “SNL” as a writer in 2018 for Season 44. He joined the cast as a featured player during Season 45, and was promoted to join the main cast beginning with Season 47. His work on the show earned him nominations for the supporting comedy actor Emmy in 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025.

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His exit follows the major exodus that came ahead of Season 51, which premiered on Oct. 4. Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim and John Higgins all recently departed the late night sketch show. Higgins’ departure was announced in tandem with his fellow Please Don’t Destroy member Martin Herlihy moving to the writing staff while Ben Marshall moved to the featured cast.

It’s atypical, though not unprecedented, that Yang is leaving “SNL” before Season 51 is over. Notable midseason exits in the show’s history have included Cecily Strong, Molly Shannon, Dana Carvey and Eddie Murphy — plus Norm Macdonald, though Macdonald’s departure was due to being fired.

Besides “SNL,” Yang is best known for the pop culture podcast “Las Culturistas,” which he cohosts 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’s film credits include “The Wedding Banquet” (2025), “Dicks: The Musical” (2023″ and “Fire Island” (2022).