It seems like a time of high-profile departures from popular TV shows. Michael Buble is apparently done on The Voice as one of its celeb coaches. Now it looks like Bowen Yang is quitting SNL after its December 20th broadcast, per People. That is the long-running comedy program's last show for 2025. Cher and Ariana Grande of Wicked will share the stage with him. He's 35 years old and is from Brisbane, Australia.
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Yang made a wonderfully zany, indelible impression in his seven seasons with SNL. He was "the first Chinese-American cast member and one of the show's first openly gay stars," per the outlet. Yang contended for an Emmy five times.
Yang Said This About Leaving the Show Three Months Ago
In September, he sensed that he was not quite ready to leave SNL yet. The show's mastermind, Lorne Michaels, also wanted Yang to remain.
The comedian shared, "I've always gone by the instinct of, do I have more to do? And I feel like I do. Even [creator] Lorne [Michaels] and I talked about it, and Lorne was like, 'You have more to do,' and that means a lot, because I even confessed to him. I was like, 'I feel the audience is maybe getting sick of me.' And he was like, 'That's not true. There's more for you to do. I need you.'"
He Is Deeply Emotional About What 'SNL' Meant to Him
His experience on SNL was positive and memorable in many ways, Yang confided. "That man [Lorne Michaels} has changed my life, and I owe a lot of my life to that show. And I love working there, the people are the best. I really love each of them so much."
He apparently thought of the show as an organic entity. Per the outlet, Yang said it's "this growing, living thing where new people come in and you do have to sort of make way for them and to grow and to keep elevating themselves."
Four years ago, Yang told People that he was influenced by SNL cast members like Margaret Cho, Andy Samberg, and Will Ferrell.
