‘I never felt central to it': Bowen Yang explains his midseason ‘Saturday Night Live' departure (original) (raw)

Bowen Yang opened up about what ultimately led to his midseason departure from "Saturday Night Live."

The comedian acknowledged that he didn’t feel like a core part of the show — and even admitted he was set to leave after Season 50.

"I never felt like I was that central to it, to be honest,” Yang said of his seven-season run on the NBC series during the June 8 episode of Variety and CNN’s "Actors on Actors." "I feel like there was a weird utility to me. I never played the dad or the straight-man teacher. I was always there as the seasoning, and I’m like, 'That's great. I’m so lucky. I can’t believe I have a steady job in comedy. I will cherish it for the rest of my life.'"

Yang explained he felt it was "the right time" to step away from the late‑night show, but creator Lorne Michaels persuaded him to stay on for a few additional episodes. He said Michaels called him while he was at the U.S. Open, asking him to help "set an example" for incoming cast members.

"It was the first time I felt someone who made so many things possible for me, being like, 'I need you.' And I'm like, 'I'm not going to turn that down,'" Yang said.

Yang took his final bow on the December 20 episode, closing out his run with a farewell sketch as a retiring Delta Air Lines club attendant serving eggnog on his last shift. He was joined in the bit by Ariana Grande and musical guest Cher.

Yang joined "SNL" as a writer in 2018, became an on‑air featured player in Season 45 and was promoted to the main cast in Season 47. His exit in Season 51 follows the departures of Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim and writer John Higgins just three months earlier.

Throughout his run, Yang became known for his versatility and offbeat comedic sensibility, delivering standout "Weekend Update" moments as characters like the iceberg that sank the Titanic and Moo Deng.