Bowen Yang reveals why he left Saturday Night Live mid-season

Bowen Yang decided to leave Saturday Night Live mid-season as he never felt "central" to the production.

The comedian was hired as a staff writer for the long-running sketch series in 2018 and promoted to a regular castmember the following year.

Bowen departed the show amid the 51st season, making his final appearance in the 2025 Christmas episode.

Reflecting on his exit during a conversation with Rachel Sennott for Variety's Actors on Actors series published on Monday, the Las Culturistas podcaster explained that he had been "resolute" about leaving the season before.

"There was a lot of uncertainty about what the show would look like after Season 50. I was like, 'I think the show is in a great place without me.' I never felt like I was that central to it, to be honest," he began.

However, Bowen recounted how SNL creator Lorne Michaels called him one day and convinced him to stay on a little longer.

"And then, Lorne called me while I was at the U.S. Open eating Coqodaq (restaurant) chicken, and he was like, 'Listen, you should come back. These are the people I've hired. It's a lot of new kids, and a lot of people left. You should be there to set an example for them, at least in the first half of the season. I'm telling you, it would be very important,'" the 35-year-old recalled.

Accordingly, Bowen agreed and was pleased with the decision, as he got to work with newcomers such as Jeremy Culhane and Ashley Padilla.

And remembering his last table read, the Wicked star emphasised that it was a full-circle moment for him.

"I was like, 'Oh, this is the most rewarding snapshot I can ever internalise in my life. I don't think I'll ever encounter this ever again.' Just looking out at the people who have seen me struggle and fail and succeed. The people who have put in the hours with me," he smiled.

Bowen and co-host Matt Rogers recently taped the 2026 Las Culturistas Culture Awards, with the prizegiving set to air on 17 June.