Watch: Bowen Yang Confirms Shocking Midseason 'SNL' Departure in Sweet TributeBowen Yang is opening up about his wickedly rewarding time on Saturday Night Live. Indeed, the 35-year-old confirmed his shocking midseason departure from the sketch comedy show after seven seasons, with his final show-hosted by Wicked costar Ariana Grande alongside musical guest Cher-airing Dec. 20. But before he graced the Studio 8H stage for the final time as a cast member, Bowen expressed his gratitude for everyone who made his experience fruitful. "I loved working at SNL, and most of all i loved the people," he wrote in the caption of the Dec. 20 Instagram post, which featured nostalgic snaps from his time on the show. "I was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 rock taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile." Bowen's exit follows a slew of departures following the show's 50th season, including those from former castmates Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker and Emil Wakim. The Las Culturistas cohost-who began his time at SNL as a writer before joining the cast in 2019-went on to show appreciation for his various learning experiences on the show.readBowen Yang Suffers Malfunction During SNL's Weekend Update Segment "I'm grateful for every minute of my time there," he continued. "I learned about myself (bad with wigs). i learned about others (generous, vulnerable, hot). i learned that human error can be nothing but correct. i learned that comedy is mostly logistics and that it will usually fail until it doesn't, which is the besssst."(Photo by Taylor Hill/WireImage)After thanking SNL cast and crew by name, Bowen went on to show love to the "Into You" singer for making his final farewell on the show that much more special, adding, "thank you to ari for sending me off in the dreamiest way i could imagine." But his final offering of gratitution went to executive producer Lorne Michaels. "Thank you to lorne for the job," Bowen added. "For the standard. and for bringing 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." Referencing Lorne's famous line, "The show doesn't go on because it's ready, it goes on because it's 11:30," Bowen concluded his sweet message by adding, "The show doesn't go on because it's ready, but s--t, i hope i am." For more retired SNL stars, keep reading... Alan Singer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images Robert Downey Jr.

Role: Cast memberTime on SNL: 1985-1986Long before Robert Downey Jr. was in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he was part of the Saturday Night Live universe.

The Iron Man star was on the show for only season 11, with him joining SNL the same year creator Lorne Michaels returned to the program after being away for five years. The Peacock documentary SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night called this period "The Weird Year" and described it as a tough time in which Lorne was trying to save the show from cancellation.

As Robert admitted on a 2016 episode of The Howard Stern Show, "It wasn't like we were blowing everyone's minds."However, the Oscar winner noted he looks back at that stretch "fondly" and that it provided "great training." In fact, Robert, who returned to host SNL in 1996, told Howard Stern, "It is probably the most exciting week you can have on Earth."Dana Edelson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesRob RiggleRole: Featured performerTime on SNL: 2004 to 2005If you ever need manifesting advice, maybe ask Rob Riggle. The Let's Be Cops actor previously revealed how he went from training to become a pilot to setting his intentions to be on SNL. "I hadn't quit anything in my life," he recalled on a 2024 episode of the Diggin' Deep Podcast. "I said, 'If I quit, it's gotta matter. It's gotta count. So what am I going to do?' The first thing I wrote was 'I'm going to get on Saturday Night Live' in that book. Ten years later, two wars, a marriage, a child, in September of 2004-almost to the day-I got on Saturday Night Live. So you write your things down, you commit to them and you do them."In fact, it was how Rob got his start in show business."My first job ever was Saturday Night Live," he added on a 2023 interview with The A.V. Club, "and I think that was a dream come true."Raymond Bonar/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images Ben StillerRole: Featured performerTime on SNL: Less than a season in 1989Ben Stiller had a short run on Saturday Night Live-like really short.

In fact, according to The New York Times, the Zoolander star was on the sketch comedy series for only four episodes. And he still remembers Lorne's reaction when he quit."He was like, 'OK. Ben's going to do what Ben's going to do,'" he said in his best Lorne voice during a January 2025 episode of The New York Times' The Interview podcast. "It wasn't great, but I knew that I couldn'