Bowen Yang, one of Saturday Night Live‘s main cast members and comedy fan favorite, is reportedly leaving the sketch comedy series after seven years with the show. He started out as a writer before being promoted to a repertory player.
According to Deadline, Bowen, 35, will take his final bow during the December 20, 2025, episode, while his Wicked co-star Ariana Grande hosts.
So, why is Bowen leaving SNL now? Here is what we know so far about his midseason departure.
Bowen’s last episode on SNL will be on December 20, 2025, according to Deadline. He is leaving amid the holiday break.
Bowen has not publicly commented on his exit at the time of publication. His reason for leaving midseason is still unclear, though he’s had to miss a few episodes, mainly to promote the two Wicked films last year and this past fall.
Despite some fans being shocked by the news, Bowen’s exit has actually been a topic of discussion. While speaking to People in September 2025 — amid a highly publicized cast shakeup — the Wicked actor said that he felt he still “had more to do” on SNL and wanted to stay.
“I’ve always gone by the instinct of, do I have more to do? And I feel like I do,” Bowen told the outlet. “[Creator] Lorne [Michaels] was like, ‘You have more to do,’ and that means a lot, because I even confessed to him… ‘I feel the audience is maybe getting sick of me.’ And he was like, ‘That’s not true. There’s more for you to do. I need you.’”
