Bowen Yang Reveals Why He Left Saturday Night Live Mid-Season

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Bowen Yang was actually live from New York a little longer than expected.

You know, as someone who keeps an eye on pop culture and career trajectories, I’ve been following this story closely. Apparently, one of the Saturday Night Live cast members was really firm about moving on after the 50th season – it just felt like the right moment for him. But Lorne Michaels, the show’s creator, is a master at recognizing talent and convinced him to stick around for a few extra episodes, which I think is great for everyone involved.

Speaking on Variety and CNN’s Actors on Actors, Yang said he didn’t see himself as a main player during his seven seasons on SNL. He described his role as more of a supporting one, adding a unique flavor to sketches rather than playing typical roles like the father figure or the straight man. He felt grateful for the opportunity, saying he was lucky to have a stable job in comedy and would always appreciate it.

Initially, the 35-year-old accepted that Saturday Night Live would be successful without him. However, Lorne Michaels then called and asked him to return for half of the show’s 51st season to help guide the new cast members and demonstrate a strong work ethic.

Honestly, hearing him say he needed me… it completely floored me. After everything he’s done for my career, to suddenly be the one he was relying on? There was no way I was going to refuse. It was a dream come true, seriously!

Now, after following through with his decision to stay, the comedian noted, “I felt good about it.”

Yang recently shared a heartwarming message he received from Saturday Night Live star Ashley Padilla when he left the show in December. She wrote, “You taught me everything I needed to know about working here – how to act professionally and how to be kind to others – and I’m so grateful. I’ll never forget it.”

You know, when asked about his last sketch on the show – the one where his character so clearly said goodbye to the job he loved – Yang actually said it was what he was most proud of. It really meant a lot to him, and honestly, it meant a lot to me too! It was such a perfect, heartfelt moment.

What really got to me was being able to say, ‘What I love most about this job is the people and how dedicated they are,’ he said. Seeing everyone who worked on the show – it felt like being between Ariana Grande and Cher in terms of the talent and effort – and I’d never experienced that level of support for anyone leaving before.

He said, “This is the most fulfilling moment of my life. I don’t think I’ll ever experience anything like it again.”

Keep reading to discover some surprising former cast members of Saturday Night Live.

Robert Downey Jr. was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1986, long before his success in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He joined the show the same year Lorne Michaels returned after a five-year absence. This period is remembered as a difficult one for SNL, with Michaels trying to prevent cancellation – a documentary called it “The Weird Year.” Downey himself admitted the season wasn’t a huge hit. However, he looks back on his time there with fondness, describing it as “great training.” He even returned to SNL as a host in 1996, telling Howard Stern that being on the show is “probably the most exciting week you can have on Earth.”

Rob Riggle was a featured performer on Saturday Night Live from 2004 to 2005. The actor, known for his role in Let’s Be Cops, has shared how he successfully shifted his career path – originally training to be a pilot, he then focused his energy on landing a spot on SNL.

He remembered never having quit anything before, so when he decided to make a change, he knew it had to be for something important. He wrote down his goal – to get on Saturday Night Live – and remarkably, ten years later, after going through two wars, getting married, and having a child, he achieved it in September 2004. He believes that writing down your goals and committing to them is the key to success. In fact, Saturday Night Live was how he began his career in show business, and he described landing the job as a dream come true in a 2023 interview with The A.V. Club.

Ben Stiller was a cast member on Saturday Night Live for a very brief period in 1989—just four episodes, according to The New York Times. He recalls that Lorne Michaels simply accepted his decision to leave, saying, “OK. Ben’s going to do what Ben’s going to do.” Stiller admits he struggled with live performance and got too nervous, preferring to focus on making short films and, later, his MTV show, The Ben Stiller Show. While being on SNL was a dream of his, he ultimately trusted his instincts and left. Despite his short tenure as a cast member, Stiller has returned to SNL several times as a host in 1998 and 2011, and has made occasional surprise appearances.

Bob Odenkirk was a writer for Saturday Night Live from 1987 to 1995. He’s actually the creator of the iconic sketch featuring Chris Farley as motivational speaker Matt Foley, who lived in a van. Odenkirk wrote the sketch while working at Second City in Chicago and was amazed at how perfectly it translated to the SNL stage, especially with Farley’s performance. He even won an Emmy for his writing on the show. Looking back, Odenkirk admits he wasn’t always easy to work with. He wishes he’d been more humble and kind during his time at SNL, despite appreciating the experience, the lessons learned, and the friendships he made.

As a lifestyle expert, I often get asked about unexpected career paths, and Laurie Metcalf’s brief stint on Saturday Night Live is a perfect example! While she’s now a celebrated actress known for roles in Lady Bird and more, many people don’t realize she had two quick cameos on SNL, one in 1981 and another in 1988. She’s described those five days in New York as a whirlwind – it was actually her first time visiting the city! She recalled being thrown into the deep end, put in a business suit, and sent out with a small camera crew to do a ‘man on the street’ segment. Honestly, she felt totally out of her element, but she just went for it! She even did a sketch with Catherine O’Hara in ’88 called ‘Laurie Has a Story.’ Looking back, she admits she was a bit naïve, but also incredibly brave to just say ‘yes’ and jump in. It’s a fun little piece of SNL history and a testament to taking chances!

Larry David worked as a writer for Saturday Night Live from 1984 to 1985, and his departure story is quite memorable. He explained on The Howard Stern Show that his sketches consistently did well during rehearsals but were repeatedly cut before the show aired. Finally, after a sketch was cut just five minutes before airtime, he snapped. He confronted executive producer Dick Ebersol, telling him the show was terrible and quitting on the spot.

However, after walking home in the cold and realizing the financial consequences of his outburst, Larry returned to work the following week as if nothing had happened. He calmly attended the writers’ meeting and even pitched a new sketch idea.

Surprisingly, he kept his job for another year, and during that time, he met Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who would later star in his hit sitcom, Seinfeld. Over the years, Larry has returned to SNL as a host twice and made numerous guest appearances, including a memorable portrayal of Bernie Sanders.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1982 to 1985, joining the show while still in college. Though she’s widely known for Seinfeld and Veep, she hasn’t always spoken fondly of her time on SNL. She admitted to Andy Cohen that she didn’t have a lot of fun, but the experience was a valuable learning opportunity. At 21, she went into the show somewhat unprepared and quickly gained a lot of experience. She compared SNL to “grad school” for comedy, saying it helped her decide what kinds of roles she wanted to pursue. She realized she preferred the more spontaneous and collaborative style of improv and Second City, and prioritized finding that kind of environment in her future work. Despite her initial feelings, Julia has returned to SNL several times, even becoming the first former female cast member to host the show in 2006, and hosting two more times after that.

Damon Wayans was a featured performer on Saturday Night Live for a very short time in 1986 – he was fired after just seven shows. He explained on The Breakfast Club in 2020 that Lorne Michaels, the show’s creator, was trying to avoid comparisons to Eddie Murphy, who had recently left. Wayans wanted a chance to perform, but Michaels didn’t give him much screen time. Frustrated, Wayans deliberately changed his character during a live sketch – a Miami Vice parody called Mr. Monopoly – to a very flamboyant gay police officer, hoping to get fired. Michaels obliged, firing him on the spot, which Wayans felt was justified given his rebellious act. Despite the brief and contentious time, Michaels later invited Wayans back to host the show. Wayans believes his experience on SNL ultimately paved the way for the creative freedom he found on In Living Color, where he was able to pursue the kind of comedy he’d envisioned.

Jenny Slate was a featured performer on Saturday Night Live for the 2009-2010 season, but she described her time there as disappointing. In a 2017 interview with Sam Jones on Off Camera, Slate explained that while everyone was nice, she felt unsuited to the show’s environment and was uncomfortable with its cautious approach to comedy. She had dreamed of being on SNL like comedic legends John Belushi and Gilda Radner, but found it to be a very different experience.

Slate was ultimately fired after just one season, which she found incredibly humiliating. She felt she hadn’t been strong or joyful enough and was shocked that people didn’t seem to care. This experience led to a period of stage fright and temporarily halted her stand-up career. However, she sought hypnosis to overcome her fear and was determined not to let the negative experience take away the one thing she did independently. Despite the difficulties, she refused to give up on her passion.

Sarah Silverman was a featured performer on Saturday Night Live from 1993 to 1994, and she often looks back fondly on her time there. In a January 2025 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Silverman recalled enjoying her year on SNL, getting along with everyone, and being surprised by the sometimes-immature behavior of the adult cast members. She even described a time when fights would occasionally turn physical.

She also shared a quirky memory: during her time on the show, she discovered she could stick tampons to walls by dipping them in water and throwing them. Years later, when she returned to SNL, she learned that producer Mike Shoemaker had found the tampons still stuck to the wall in her old office – over a decade after she’d left!

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2026-06-09 01:19