Bowen Yang expressed his gratitude for his time at Saturday Night Live following his unexpected departure from the legendary comedy show.
Yang joined the SNL team as a writer before being promoted to become the show’s first Chinese-American cast member in 2019.
After seven years with the show, the 35-year-old has announced his departure from the long-running series.
The final episode he appeared in aired on December 20, featuring singer Cher and his Wicked co-star Ariana Grande.
Although he hasn’t provided a specific reason for leaving during SNL’s 51st season, the actor known for The Wedding Banquet stated he ‘loved’ being part of the show for nearly a decade.
“And most of all I loved the people,” he shared on Instagram.
“I was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 Rock [SNL HQ] taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile.
“I’m grateful for every minute of my time there.”
During his tenure, Yang appeared in 126 episodes of SNL and discovered much about himself, including a humorous revelation that he was ‘bad with wigs’ and that human error can sometimes be beneficial.
“I learned that comedy is mostly logistics and that it will usually fail until it doesn’t, which is the besssst,” the Overcompensating actor continued.
“Thank you to every single person who showed up there: friends and coworkers and audiences and hosts.”
He took to Instagram to express appreciation to past and current members of the writing team, mentioning Celeste Yim, Julio Torres, Auguste White, and hair designer Jodi Mancuso, among others.
“Thank you to Ari for sending me off in the dreamiest way I could imagine,” Yang wrote.
Lorne Michaels, the show’s creator and producer, was also thanked by Yang for introducing him to NBC and for setting the standard that brought everyone at work together.
“They all care deeply about people in the room, any room, enjoying themselves. I can’t believe I was ever included in that,” he added.
“The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready, but sh*****t, I hope I am.”
Yang has already lined up two projects following his exit from SNL, including a voice role in an animated adaptation of The Cat in the Hat, and Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer’s, My Mother and Me.
The latter project is based on Sarah Leavitt’s graphic novel and is directed by Leah Nelson.
According to IMDB, Yang will be part of a talented cast that includes Bryan Cranston, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Seth Rogen.
The Australian-born comedian has been nominated for five Primetime Emmys and recently contributed his voice to episodes of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, featuring Natasha Lyonne, Kieran Culkin, and Keke Palmer.