Bowen Yang Opens Up About Leaving ‘Saturday Night Live’: ‘I Stayed Exactly as Long as I Wanted To’

Bowen Yang is still feeling the emotions that came with leaving Saturday Night Live, and he’s not shying away from sharing them.

The former SNL cast member opened up about his departure during a recent episode of Las Culturistas, the popular podcast he co-hosts with longtime friend Matt Rogers. The episode, fittingly titled “Exit Interview (The Cathartic Episode),” gave fans an inside look at Yang’s mindset as he closed the chapter on his seven-and-a-half-year run at the legendary NBC sketch show.

Yang said the timing felt right, noting that before the pandemic, seven years was often when cast members moved on. What made his exit unique, he explained, was the sense of control he had over the decision.

“In a lot of cases, cast members don’t have the privilege of staying on as long as they’d like to,” Yang said. “I have this very beautiful thing where I get to say that I stayed on exactly as long as I wanted to.”

His final episode aired December 20 and featured appearances alongside host Ariana Grande, his Wicked co-star, and musical guest Cher. Yang compared pulling off the finale to landing a rover on Mars, describing the uncertainty and pressure that comes with live television.

During the podcast, Yang reflected on lessons he learned at SNL, including accepting how much of the job is beyond any performer’s control, from audience reactions to which sketches make it to air.

“Nothing is guaranteed,” he said, adding that this unpredictability defined his entire experience on the show.

Yang also shared how emotional his final sketch became for him. Playing a Delta One employee on his last shift, he admitted the scene was intentionally personal and allowed him to say goodbye in a way many former cast members never get. He became tearful recalling how colleagues, both on camera and behind the scenes, showed up to support him during that moment.

Looking out from the studio floor, Yang said he felt overwhelming gratitude for the people and the experience that shaped his career.

Yang is not alone in reflecting on life after SNL. Fellow cast member Ego Nwodim also recently departed the show after seven seasons, saying she felt ready to apply the skills she gained to new opportunities.

For Yang, the farewell was bittersweet but fulfilling, marking the end of a chapter he says ended exactly when it was meant to.

Explore: NBCPalmSprings.com, where we are connecting the Valley.