Bowen Yang says goodbye to “Saturday Night Live.”
Yang will leave the show midway through its eighth season following the Dec. 20 episode, which will feature fellow “Wicked” franchise member Ariana Grande as host and Cher as musical guest, TODAY.com has learned.
TODAY.com has reached out to Bowen's and SNL's reps for comment.
Yang joined “SNL” as a writer in 2018. The following year, he became the lead broadcaster for the 45th season. In season 47, he was promoted to the show's main cast.
Ian's sudden departure in season 51 occurred approximately three months after actors' appearances Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker and Emile Wakim, as well as writer John Higgins in September.
That same month, Ian opened People about him decision to stay in the series for one more seasonwhich came out of a discussion with “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels.
“My instinct has always been: Is there anything else I need to do? And I feel like there is,” Yang told the publication.
“Even Lorne and I talked about it and Lorne said, ‘You still have a lot to do,’ and that means a lot because I even confessed to him,” Ian continued. “I thought, 'I feel like the public might be tired of me.' And he’s like, “That’s not true. You still have something to do. I need you.”
Ian went on to say that he felt he had to “respect” Michaels' wishes.
“This man changed my life and I owe a lot to this show. And I love working there, the people are the best. I really love every single one of them,” he explained.
During his time on “SNL,” Yang was known for being a versatile cast member. He showed off his own crazy sense of humor in several memorable moments behind the “Weekend Update” desk. iceberg that sank the Titanic And This is Dan.
Yang also told People magazine that he sees being on “SNL” as a kind of “boot camp” for young performers, which he said “implies that there's a next stage of preparation for something else.”
“It's always a transitional place, and I think it's always a launching pad,” he said, adding, “I think that will be true for all the people who don't come back. I'm so excited to see what they do. I'm excited for the new cast.”
