Bowen Yang Explains Why He Exited 'SNL' Mid-Season 51, Says He 'Never Felt Central' to the Series - Just Jared - Celebrity News and Gossip

Bowen Yang is fully explaining why he left Saturday Night Live in the mid-season.

In December, it was confirmed that Bowen would be leaving the show abruptly halfway through season 51, which is unusual for the sketch comedy series.

Now, the fan favorite comedian is explaining his reasoning.

Bowen Yang shared that he actually wanted to leave the show after season 50

“I was kind of resolute the season before, about leaving. There was a lot of uncertainty about what the show would look like after Season 50. I was like, ‘I think the show is in a great place without me,'” he said (via Variety).

Bowen Yang then revealed he never felt “central” to the show

“I never felt like I was that central to it, to be honest…I feel like there was a weird utility to me,” he added about how SNL used him in sketches.

He continued, “I never played the dad or the straight-man teacher. I was always there as the seasoning, and I’m like, ‘that’s great. I’m so lucky….I can’t believe I have a steady job in comedy. I will cherish it for the rest of my life.’ And I just felt like it was the right time. And then Lorne [Michaels] called me while I was at the U.S. Open eating Coqodaq chicken, and he was like, ‘Listen, you should come back. These are the people I’ve hired. It’s a lot of new kids, and a lot of people left. You should be there to set an example for them, at least in the first half of the season. I’m telling you, it would be very important.'”

That phone call from Lorne Michaels ultimately changed his mind

“It was the first time I felt someone who made so many things possible for me being like, ‘I need you.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m not going to turn that down.’ I felt good about it, and I was like, ‘Let’s make sure to hire these writers.’ It was my one chance to till the soil.”

Watch Bowen Yang’s final SNL sketch.

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