Bowen Yang Pens Fond ‘SNL’ Farewell on Final Day

Bowen Yang marked his final day as a cast member on Saturday Night Live with a sweet farewell. On Saturday morning, he penned a note on social media, reminiscing about what he learned and expressing his gratitude for the experience. Yang spent seven seasons on the sketch comedy series.

He posted his note on Instagram, alongside a carousel featuring photos and video skit clips with castmates and guests, including a clip featuring Jenna Ortega, and more fond memories.

“i loved working at SNL, and most of all i loved the people. i was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 rock taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile,” he wrote.

He reminisced about the lessons he will take with him going forward. “i’m grateful for every minute of my time there. i learned about myself (bad with wigs). i learned about others (generous, vulnerable, hot). i learned that human error can be nothing but correct. i learned that comedy is mostly logistics and that it will usually fail until it doesn’t, which is the besssst.”

Yang kicked off his time at SNL first as a writer in 2018 for Season 44, before becoming a featured player in Season 45. He was promoted to the main cast in Season 47.

“thank you to every single person who showed up there: friends and coworkers and audiences and hosts. thank you celeste, sudi, will, alison, julio, fran, drez, bulla, marty, john, ben, jimmy, ceara, deetch, jake, asha, jack, auguste, tucker, kent, streeter, james, alex, jasmine, gary, and billy for writing with me. thank you to every cast member for making me laugh and cry,” he continued. “to liz and don. tom, jodi, louie, eamon. gena, chris, eddie. the crews, the pages. and to audrey, jameson, cassandra and chris for the fastest, funnest quick-changes in all of showbiz. thank you to ari for sending me off in the dreamiest way i could imagine.”

Yang’s final SNL show as a castmate concludes with Ariana Grande, his Wicked co-star, as host and Cher is the musical guest. It’s a full-circle moment as Yang played Glinda’s (Grande) assistant Pfannee in the Wicked films.

He concluded with a thank you to show creator Lorne Michaels. “thank you to lorne for the job. for the standard. and for bringing everyone at work together,” he wrote. “they all care deeply about people in the room, any room, enjoying themselves. i can’t believe i was ever included in that. the show doesn’t go on because it’s ready, but shiiiiit, i hope i am.”

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Yang’s SNL departure comes a couple of weeks after it was reported that he’s set to work on a new endeavor with his Las Culturistas co-host Matt Rogers; the duo will co-write and co-star in a new comedy film for Searchlight, according to Deadline. He is also voicing a character opposite Bill Hader in a new version of The Cat in the Hat.

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Season 51 of SNL came with numerous high-profile exits prior to its premiere, after Michaels said he planned to “shake things up.” Ego Nwodim, John Higgins, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Rosebud Baker and Emil Wakim were among the cast to leave the show before the latest season.