Bowen Yang has been known to speak candidly when it comes to newsworthy topics. He’s been open about his experience as an Asian and queer person on SNL, he joined other celebrities in sounding off after Stephen Colbert was axed, and now he’s seemingly shared a thoughtful take on the response to all of the Saturday Night Live cast exits ahead of Season 51’s premiere on the 2025 TV schedule.
In addition to wondering who will be the hosts and musical guests for SNL Season 51, fans of the NBC sketch comedy are beginning to wonder which cast members will be left after several of the comedians’ exits have already been confirmed. So, as all this is happening, Bowen Yang took to his Instagram Stories to post:
Now, Bowen Yang didn’t specifically mention SNL, so we can’t say for sure that he was commenting on the current happenings at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, but it’s definitely got my wheels turning with everything that’s going on.
The Fire Island actor joined Saturday Night Live as a writer in 2018, being promoted to cast member in 2019, so he’s been around long enough to know that turnover between seasons is to be expected. The exits going into Season 51 do seem to be a bit more drastic than we’re used to, partially because there weren’t a lot of changes headed into SNL’s milestone 50th season. Now, as all these changes have been happening, coverage has been high, and the internet has not shied away from sharing its thoughts on the matter.
Devon Walker was the first announced cut, and he, too, commented on the public’s reaction to everything, tweeting:
Y'all acting like we died lol we just getting different jobs.
It’s a good point. People leave all the time, whether because they were let go or to take new opportunities. Saturday Night Live’s cast is tied to an infamously brutal schedule that’s rarely conducive to long-term employment. (They can’t all be Kenan Thompson.)
Alums, including Andy Samberg, have been honest about the toll the show can take on a person, and David Spade has said it’s wild for cast members to stay for more than five or six seasons.
In addition to Devon Walker, it’s been announced that Michael Longfellow is leaving the cast, and Emil Wakim, who brought a refreshing (and hilarious) Middle Eastern perspective, was let go. I was probably most surprised to hear about Heidi Gardner’s exit, but after eight years, I guess maybe it wasn’t the most unexpected news.
There were also rumors that Weekend Update might see changes, and it was recently learned that writer Rosebud Baker is stepping away after three years of contributions to Colin Jost and Michael Che’s hilarious weekly news segment.
It’s certainly a lot for Saturday Night Live fans to wrap their minds around, and former cast member Punkie Johnson has us reaching for the popcorn with her commentary on all of the exits, asking, “WTF is happening?”
But Bowen Yang’s response is probably giving me the most food for thought, and hopefully everyone leaving the show — by choice or otherwise — is able to use their experience as a launching pad to their next adventure in the media ecosystem.
SNL Season 51 premieres at 11:30 p.m. ET Saturday, October 4, on NBC and streaming with a Peacock subscription.
