“Saturday Night Live” cast member Bowen Yang is set to leave the show midway through its 51st season. Yang’s final episode will air this Saturday, hosted by his “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande, with Cher as the musical guest.
The long-running sketch show is set to begin its annual Christmas break after this weekend’s episode. Variety and other outlets report Yang will not return when the show comes back in the spring.
Yang joined the late-night staple as a writer in 2018, ahead of Season 44. He later moved into an on-air role before Season 45 and was promoted to repertory cast member by Season 47. His departure follows a wave of major cast changes after the show’s landmark 50th season.
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Ahead of Season 51, Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Emil Wakim, John Higgins and Devon Walker all left the show. Several departing cast members said they were let go, while others said they chose to leave.
Midseason cast departures are rare but not unprecedented. Past examples include Cecily Strong in 2022, Molly Shannon in 2001 and Eddie Murphy in 1984.
Yang earned five Emmy nominations during his tenure, including four for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and one for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series.
Yang became a fan favorite for offbeat characters like the iceberg that sank the Titanic and Moo Deng the hippo. He also portrayed political figures including George Santos and Vice President JD Vance.
Outside of “SNL”, Yang co-hosts the podcast “Las Culturistas” with Matt Rogers and has starred in “Wicked” and its successor “Wicked: For Good.”
Representatives for Yang and “Saturday Night Live” did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
