Bowen Yang’s emotional goodbye on Saturday Night Live may have played out in a sketch, but the feelings behind it were very real.
Yang’s sendoff came during the Dec. 20 episode in a sketch where he portrayed an airport lounge employee working his final shift.
“It’s sad,” the comedian said. “I’m going to miss everything about this place: the way it smells, the celebrities who would come through. You know, just last week, Josh O’Connor was here!”
The sketch featured appearances from the night’s host Ariana Grande and musical guest Cher. Grande expressed how proud she was of Yang and everything he’s accomplished, while fellow cast member Kenan Thompson also stopped by, telling him, “Good luck. I’m going to miss you.”
As the sketch neared its end, Yang’s emotions clearly surfaced. While addressing the airline staff on screen, he was unmistakably speaking from the heart to the SNL cast and crew.
“I just feel so lucky that I ever got to work here, and I just wanted to enjoy it for a little bit longer,” he said to Cher, who played his boss. “Any success I have after this will be thanks to this place.”
Yang joined SNL in 2018 as a writer during the show’s 44th season. He was later promoted to a featured player and eventually became a main cast member. Over the years, his work earned him multiple Emmy nominations.
His exit is the latest in a wave of recent cast changes. Back in September, at the start of the show’s 51st season, Ego Nwodim also announced her departure.
“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight,” Nwodim wrote on Instagram. “But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL. I am immensely grateful to [creator and showrunner] Lorne Michaels for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support, and friendship.”
