Bowen Yang has taken his final curtain call on Saturday Night Live — against the wishes of show creator Lorne Michaels.
“i’m grateful for every minute of my time there,” the comedian, 35, wrote in a lengthy message on Instagram on Sunday, December 21 — the day after his final show, hosted by close pal Ariana Grande and musical guest Cher — before thanking the entire cast and crew, including Michaels.
“Everyone tried to get Bowen to stay, from Lorne down. But he just made up his mind, he was over it,” an insider told Page Six in a story published on Tuesday, December 23. “He was not happy, you could tell.”
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Michaels threw “a ton of money” at the comedian at the beginning of Season 51 to get him to stay, added the outlet, but the Wicked actor still decided to leave mid-season.
Yang — who joined the sketch comedy show as a writer in 2018, became a featured player in 2019 and was promoted to regular cast member in 2021 — was “overcommitted” with work outside of SNL, another source told Page Six.
He co-hosts the hit podcast “Las Culturistas” with Matt Rogers and has a slate of TV and film projects lined up.
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Page Six also reported that Yang was “very upset” that cast mate Heidi Gardner was cut from the show in August, after eight seasons.
Her exit was part of a cast shakcup that saw the departures of Devon Walker, Emil Wakim and Michael Longfellow. Ego Nwodim also left before the season premiere.
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