Bowen Yang Suffers Wardrobe Malfunction During SNL Segment

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Even the wizarding world isn’t safe from a wardrobe malfunction.

During the season 51 premiere of *Saturday Night Live*, Bowen Yang had a wardrobe malfunction while portraying Dobby the house elf in a Weekend Update sketch.

The comedic sketch started with the comedian mockingly explaining the reason for his performance, and it was created as a reaction to J.K. Rowling’s recent comments and Emma Watson’s lack of public defense against Rowling’s views on transgender issues.

During the October 4th show, Bowen playfully asked Michael Che, “Why would Dobby be scared?” He explained that Dobby was about to share his views publicly on transgender people. Bowen jokingly framed it as his ‘master’ sending Dobby on television to definitively define what a woman is.

Bowen, after mistakenly letting slip that his mentor was the author of *Harry Potter*, jokingly punished himself by hitting his head on the news desk – a reference to a recurring act in the books. This caused the shoulder of his loose-fitting costume to slip off his body.

He playfully exclaimed, “Oh, Dobby’s come undone!” causing the audience to laugh. He quickly apologized, explaining that his costume wasn’t holding up well.

For the rest of the segment, the 34-year-old kept having to hold his costume up, which was tricky, especially when he jumped over the desk and accidentally hit his head on the camera. He then tried to explain to Michael and Colin Jost why he kept getting injured.

“I don’t know,” Bowen said. “It’s probably because house-elves are always blamed for things, even though we make up such a small part of the population. But the real victims aren’t us—it’s J.K. Rowling. She receives a lot of hateful mail.”

The actor from *Wicked* then showed a piece of hate mail – a t-shirt with the message “They K. Rowling” on it – that someone had given him. Seeing it made him understand he was finally free.

Once Michael and Colin finished their segment, Bowen playfully danced back to the hosts at the desk, prompting Colin to exclaim with amusement, “We’re seeing everything!”

The actor from *Wicked* then showed a piece of hate mail – a t-shirt with the message “They K. Rowling” on it – that someone had given him. Seeing it made him feel liberated.

Once Michael and Colin finished their segment, Bowen playfully danced back to join them at the desk, prompting Colin to exclaim, “We’re seeing everything!”

Bowen is already a well-known face on *SNL* as he starts his seventh season. But here are some other cast members you might have forgotten were part of the show’s history…

Robert Downey Jr. was a cast member on *Saturday Night Live* from 1985 to 1986, well before his success in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He joined the show the same year Lorne Michaels returned after a five-year absence, a period the *SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night* documentary described as a difficult time when Michaels was working to prevent cancellation. Downey Jr. himself admitted the season wasn’t a huge hit, but he remembers his time on *SNL* fondly, calling it “great training.” He even hosted the show in 1996 and told Howard Stern it was “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 from pilot training to landing a spot on *SNL* by focusing on what he wanted to achieve.

He remembered never having quit anything before, so when he decided to make a change, he wanted it to be for something truly meaningful. 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, committing to them, and then pursuing them is the key to success. In fact, *Saturday Night Live* was how he launched his career in show business. He later told The A.V. Club in 2023 that landing that first job on *SNL* was a dream come true.

Ben Stiller was a cast member on *Saturday Night Live* for a very brief period in 1989—only four episodes, according to *The New York Times*. He recalls that Lorne Michaels, the show’s creator, simply accepted his decision to leave. Stiller admitted he struggled with live performance, got too nervous, and didn’t enjoy the experience. He preferred making short films and was eager to pursue *The Ben Stiller Show* on MTV. While being on *SNL* had been a dream, he ultimately trusted his instincts and left. Despite his short time as a cast member, Stiller has returned to the show several times, hosting in 1998 and 2011 and making occasional surprise appearances.

Bob Odenkirk was a writer for *Saturday Night Live* from 1987 to 1995. He’s best known for writing the iconic Matt Foley sketch, featuring the late Chris Farley as a motivational speaker living in a van. Odenkirk wrote the sketch while working with Second City in Chicago, and remembers it coming together perfectly. Farley’s performance, of course, took it to another level.

Odenkirk actually won an Emmy for his writing on *SNL*, but has since reflected on his behavior during that time, admitting he wishes he had been more humble and kind. He acknowledges the valuable experience and lasting friendships he gained, but still feels he could have handled things better – a sentiment many people share when looking back on their younger selves.

Laurie Metcalf appeared on *Saturday Night Live* only twice, making brief cameos in 1981 and 1988. She remembers her first visit to New York being a fast-paced experience, explaining to *Vulture* that she was thrown into a business suit and sent out with a small camera crew for a “man on the street” segment. She also starred in a sketch called “Laurie Has a Story” with Catherine O’Hara. Metcalf recalls feeling unprepared but willing to try anything, and she’s glad there’s footage to prove she did it! She described it as a whirlwind five days and admitted she didn’t know what she was doing, but she went with it anyway.

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 performed well during rehearsals but were repeatedly cut before airtime. Finally, after a sketch was cut just five minutes before the show began, he snapped. He confronted executive producer Dick Ebersol, declaring the show was terrible and quitting on the spot.

Walking home in the cold, he realized the financial implications of his outburst and sheepishly returned to work the following week. To his surprise, no one mentioned the incident during the writers’ meeting. When asked what he was working on, he casually suggested a circus sketch.

Larry continued at SNL for another year, and it was during this time he met Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who would later star in his hit show, Seinfeld. Over the years, he’s hosted SNL twice and made numerous guest appearances, even portraying Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus was a cast member on *Saturday Night Live* from 1982 to 1985. While she’s widely known for *Seinfeld* and *Veep*, some may not realize she started her career on *SNL* while still in college. Although her husband, Brad Hall, was also on the show, Julia admits her time there wasn’t always enjoyable. She described it as a valuable learning experience, like “grad school” for comedy, and it helped her figure out what she wanted from her career. She realized she preferred the more collaborative and fun environment of improv and Second City, and she prioritized finding that in future projects. Despite not loving her initial experience, Julia has returned to *SNL* several times, notably becoming the first former female cast member to host the show in 2006, and hosted it twice more 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 in a 2020 interview 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 his own material, and when Michaels wouldn’t let him, he deliberately tried to get fired. During a live taping of a *Miami Vice* parody called Mr. Monopoly, he changed his character to a very flamboyant gay police officer. He admits it was done with the wrong attitude and that Michaels was right to fire him immediately. Despite this, Michaels later invited him back to host the show. Wayans believes this experience was crucial because it paved the way for him to create the kind of comedy he envisioned on *In Living Color*, where he was able to fully express his creative ideas.

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 kind, she felt unsuited to the show’s environment and uncomfortable with its cautious approach. She had dreamed of joining *SNL*, imagining a wild, improvisational atmosphere like that of legends John Belushi and Gilda Radner, but found it to be a much more standard television production.

Slate was ultimately let go after one season, an experience she found deeply humiliating. She felt ashamed of her own behavior, believing she hadn’t been strong or joyful enough, and was hurt to realize that others didn’t seem to care. This led to a period of stage fright and a temporary halt to her stand-up comedy.

However, Slate refused to let the negative experience destroy her passion. She underwent hypnosis to overcome her stage fright, determined to reclaim the one thing she did independently.

Sarah Silverman was a featured performer on *Saturday Night Live* from 1993 to 1994. Despite only being on the show for one season, she remembers it fondly. In a January 2025 appearance on *The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon*, Silverman recalled enjoying her time with her castmates and being surprised by the sometimes-childish behavior of the adults around her, even describing occasional physical fights. She also shared a quirky memory of a strange ‘craft’ she used to do in her office – dipping tampons in water and throwing them at the wall, where they would stick for years. In fact, she returned to *SNL* a decade later and was shocked to find the tampon splatters still visible on her old office walls, as pointed out by producer Mike Shoemaker.

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2025-10-06 17:19