Bowen Yang broke his silence just hours before his final episode of “Saturday Night Live,” officially confirming reports of his exit after seven trailblazing years.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, the five-time Emmy nominee, 35, shared a heartfelt goodbye to the NBC sketch comedy series, which he joined as a writer in 2018, a year before making history as the first Chinese-American cast member, and one of the show’s first openly gay stars.
“I loved working at ‘SNL,’ and most of all I loved the people,” Yang wrote alongside a carousel of photos and videos. “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.”
The “Las Culturistas” co-host said he’s “grateful for every minute” of his time of the show and thanked creator Lorne Michaels and “every single person who showed up there: friends and co-workers and audiences and hosts.”
“They all care deeply about people in the room, any room, enjoying themselves. I can’t believe I was ever included in that,” Yang continued. “The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready, but s–t, I hope I am.”
News of Yang’s departure broke on Friday, with multiple outlets reporting he would leave after the Dec. 20 Christmas episode, featuring his “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande as host and Cher as the musical guest.
His exit comes after the summer’s mass cast exodus, and just three months after Yang told People that both he and Michaels, 81, agreed he had “more to do” at Studio 8H.
