Bowen Yang confirmed he will return to Saturday Night Live amid a sweeping round of cast departures, saying SNL creator Lorne Michaels privately reassured him that he still has work to do on the show.
In an interview with People, the 34-year-old actor and comedian said he had questioned whether audiences were growing tired of seeing him on the long-running sketch series. "I even confessed to him. I was like, 'I feel the audience is maybe getting sick of me.' And he was like, 'That's not true. There's more for you to do. I need you,'" Yang recalled. "I've always gone by the instinct of, do I have more to do? And I feel like I do."
Yang, who joined SNL as a writer in season 44 before joining the cast, said he aims to continue to "honor" Michaels' vision and credited the show with changing his life. "That man has changed my life, and I owe a lot of my life to that show," he said. He added that he loves working at SNL and expressed affection for the people who make the program.
The comments come as a number of performers announced they will not return next season. Ego Nwodim, who is 37, posted on social media, "The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight. But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL. I am immensely grateful to Lorne for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support and friendship." Heidi Gardner also confirmed her departure after an eight-season run. Other performers who will not be returning next season include Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow and Emil Wakim.
On his podcast Las Culturistas, which he co-hosts with Matt Rogers, Yang praised Gardner, saying, "You are one of the greats. You will go down in history," and noting Gardner's rare ability to write a sketch without a co-writer. Yang said he is excited to see what the departing cast members do next and to welcome new performers to the show.
Yang framed the turnover as part of SNL's long-standing role as a training ground. "What I've always thought, what I think everybody knows, is that SNL is this boot camp, and that implies that there is a next phase you train for something else," he said. "It's always a transitional place, and I think it is always a launching pad." He cited Kenan Thompson as an example of a performer who has used the show to expand his opportunities even while staying on the program.
Yang is slated to return for SNL's upcoming 51st season. His continuing presence follows a period of notable cast movement as the show refreshes its lineup while longstanding members depart. Yang's decision to remain reflects both his personal assessment of creative opportunity and the encouragement he said he received from Michaels, who has helmed the show since its inception.
Producers and the show's leadership have not provided an immediate public comment on the week's departures or the broader casting plan for the coming season. Yang's remarks underscore a familiar pattern for the program: a rotating cast that serves as a springboard for performers' next projects while maintaining a core production led by Michaels and the show's writing staff.