Bowen Yang paid emotional tribute to his Saturday Night Live cast and crew at an Emmy For Your Consideration panel in Los Angeles on Monday, reflecting on the show’s relentless creative demands as he prepares to move forward following his mid-season departure.
Quick Facts
- Yang attended the SNL FYC panel at the Saban Media Center alongside 11 other cast members
- He left the show mid-season with his final episode featuring host Ariana Grande and musical guest Cher
- Yang became the most nominated Asian male performer in Emmy history with his fourth acting nomination in 2025
- He was the first SNL featured player ever to earn an Emmy nomination in an acting category, in 2021
During the Variety-moderated conversation, Yang grew emotional while addressing the ensemble and crew at 30 Rock. “I am in awe, and I go, ‘Holy shit, these people are doing this with no safety net,'” he said. “They are doing something incredibly difficult on a weekly basis, with a cadence where they get to show all of you, and me now, how much they improve at the skill.”
Yang emphasized the significance of the work in the current cultural moment. “I really hope everyone considers that it is very hard to do this, especially now, when comedy is in very short supply,” he added. The panel also included cast members Tommy Brennan, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Marcello Hernández, James Austin Johnson, Ben Marshall, Ashley Padilla, Kam Patterson, Sarah Sherman, Veronika Slowikowska and Kenan Thompson.
Bowen Yang pays tribute to SNL cast at Emmy FYC panel
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On his departure, Yang joked about his Emmy eligibility during the event. “Yes, everyone, I’m FYC-eligible!” he reminded the crowd, noting that his final episode benefited from exceptional talent. “It was so crazy, because those are two comedians, I feel like we can all agree. Cher’s a literal sketch comedian. Ariana went through the whole Nickelodeon developmental thing. I can’t believe that was the fortuitous thing.”
Sources
- Variety — Bowen Yang’s remarks at the SNL Emmy FYC panel, event details, and cast information
