Bowen Yang’s emotional Saturday Night Live farewell speech came in a sketch but expressed his real-life feelings.
Yang’s sign-off for SNL came on the Dec. 20 episode via a sketch where he played an airport lounge employee during his last shift.
"It's sad," the comedian said. "I'm going to miss everything about this place: The way it smells. The celebrities who would come through. You know, just last week, Josh O'Connor was here!"
Joining him during the sketch were the night’s host, Ariana Grande, and musical guest Cher. Grande told Yan how proud she was of everything he’d done, and fellow SNL star Kenan Thompson appeared as well, telling him, “Good luck. I’m going to miss you.”
Toward the end of the sketch, Yang’s emotions about leaving rose to the surface as he addressed the airline attendants while really speaking to the cast of the show.
"I just feel so lucky that I ever got to work here, and I just wanted to enjoy it for a little bit longer," he said to Cher, who played his boss. "Any success I have after this will be thanks to this place."
Yang joined SNL as a writer in 2018 during the show’s 44th season. When the next season started, he became a supporting cast member and then joined the main cast. During his time there, Yang was nominated for multiple Emmys.
Yang’s departure from SNL is the latest following various cast changes in recent months. In September, at the beginning of the show's 51st season, Ego Nwodim announced her departure.
“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight,” Nwodim wrote on Instagram. “But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL. I am immensely grateful to [creator and showrunner] Lorne Michaels for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support, and friendship.”