Bowen Yang Reveals Real Reason Behind SNL Exit

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Bowen Yang is now sharing the full story behind his departure from Saturday Night Live and is responding to the feedback he got while working on the show.

On a recent episode of his podcast, Las Culturistas, he talked about his experience on SNL. While he appreciated the chance to be on the show, he felt limited in his ability to develop as a performer. He explained that he felt like he was expected to play a specific, pre-defined role from the start, instead of being able to create something new, which led people to see him as predictable.

The actor shared that he felt fortunate to have left the show when he did, as not everyone gets to make that choice. He understands why current cast members have stayed for so long and fully supports their decisions. He also wants to make it clear that he left on good terms with Saturday Night Live and has no negative feelings towards the show.

It feels like things are really unstable in the entertainment world right now, and honestly, a lot of people have good reasons for sticking with projects longer than they’d planned, or even not being able to stay as long as they’d like. I feel really lucky because I can honestly say I left a project exactly when I wanted to. I was even questioning whether to return for another season, but I’m so glad I did – it turned out to be the right decision!

Yang talked about the criticism he received from viewers, explaining that many people felt he lacked versatility. He admitted this feedback eventually made him feel constrained. He shared that he was often perceived as simply “the gay Asian guy.” While his co-host, Matt Rogers, dismissed these comments as unoriginal and hurtful, Yang acknowledged there was some truth to them and he understood where the criticism was coming from.

Yang shared that he did try to explore different roles and characters, but audiences consistently focused on his identity as a gay Asian man. This made him feel like people weren’t seeing him as an individual, and that they had fixed expectations of what he could be, preventing him from growing beyond those stereotypes.

I constantly felt limited during my time there, like I couldn’t explore different possibilities with my performances. I knew I didn’t want to play predictable or stereotypical characters, especially in a sketch show where everything is so short – usually around four minutes. Because the sketches are brief, they naturally rely on familiar character types.

These established character types also connect to broader, generalized expectations, and whiteness often acts as a blank slate onto which others project their ideas. I felt like I arrived already defined – with pre-conceived notions about my identity. People immediately categorized me as ‘the gay Asian guy on SNL,’ and any attempt to explore roles or express myself beyond that label was either overlooked or simply interpreted through the same limited lens – always seen as ‘him being gay and Asian.’

Bowen Yang made history as the first actor of Asian descent to join the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2019. He quickly became a beloved performer thanks to his perfect timing and exceptional delivery. His final appearance was during the show’s 2025 Christmas episode, hosted by Ariana Grande, who he worked with on Wicked. His last sketch was particularly touching and moved many viewers to tears.

Saturday Night Live airs every Saturday at 11:30 PM ET and 8:30 PM PT.

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2026-01-08 02:08