Why Is Bowen Yang Leaving ‘SNL’ Now?

Bowen Yang is leaving Saturday Night Live after tomorrow night’s episode, according to People, shocking fans and audiences with the abrupt timing of his departure. The show will be hosted by Yang’s Wicked co-star Ariana Grande, with Cher as musical guest, a pairing that already felt surreal. Now, it’s also a sendoff.

Yang is exiting midway through his eighth season, ending a run that began when he joined the writers’ room in 2018 before stepping on-camera the following year. Since then, he’s become one of the most recognizable faces on the show, earning Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025.

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The news lands after Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, and John Higgins have all exited the show in recent months. Now Yang’s departure raises even more question marks about what’s going on at the show.

Why now, exactly?

Did the cluster of recent departures reflect a broader internal shift at SNL? Is this the final remix of the Michaels era, ahead of whatever leadership change may eventually come?

What does Yang do next?

Does he envision himself moving deeper into film? Comedy writing? Dramatic roles? Producing? According to IMDb, he has two projects coming up, including The Cat in the Hat, an animated fantasy comedy by Warner Bros., and Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer's, My Mother and Me.