Bowen Yang is wrapping up his Saturday Night Live run with a show that doubles as a full-circle moment, USA Today reports. The 35-year-old performer will depart the cast of SNL mid–Season 51, with his final episode scheduled for Saturday, according to reports from Today and People. NBC has not publicly commented on the move. Yang, the first Chinese-American cast member as well as one of the first to be openly gay, joined the comedy show as a writer in 2018 before being promoted to on-air cast member, quickly becoming one of the show's most recognizable faces. He had just, in September, spoken publicly about his decision to return for the new season, saying show creator Lorne Michaels told him, "You have more to do."
His exit follows a series of recent departures that have reshaped the long-running sketch institution. Veteran cast members Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner both announced before the October season premiere that they would not return, and newer players Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, and Emil Wakim also left, as did writer John Higgins. Yang may be following the trajectory of SNL alums like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph, who have gone on to even bigger gigs. He has a prominent role in the two-part film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked, and co-hosts the culture podcast Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers.
Yang's last night at Studio 8H will pair him with a familiar colleague: his Wicked co-star and good friend Ariana Grande, who is set to host Saturday's episode, with Cher as musical guest. Speaking to USA Today earlier this year at the Writers Guild of America Awards, Yang named Cher as his dream SNL host, saying simply: "Cher. It's always Cher."
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