Bowen Yang is shedding light on his sudden departure from \u201cSaturday Night Live<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n During a recent discussion with Rachel Sennott for Variety\u2019s \u201cActors on Actors\u201d series<\/a><\/span>, Yang revealed that he had decided<\/span> to leave the NBC sketch show the season before publicly announcing his exit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThere was a lot of uncertainty about what the show would look like after Season 50. I was like, \u2018I think the show is in a great place without me.\u2019 I never felt like I was that central to it, to be honest,\u201d Yang told Sennott, which she disagreed with.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n He went on to explain that he felt \u201cthere was a weird utility to me,\u201d adding, \u201cI never played the dad or the straight-man teacher. I was always there as the seasoning, and I\u2019m like, \u2018That\u2019s great. I\u2019m so lucky. I can\u2019t believe I have a steady job in comedy. I will cherish it for the rest of my life.\u2019 And I just felt like it was the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n However, according to Yang, a conversation with creator Lorne Michaels, who reminded him of how vital he was to the show, convinced him to change his plans and stay until the middle of Season 51.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cLorne called me while I was at the U.S. Open eating Coqodaq chicken, and he was like, \u2018Listen, you should come back,\u2019\u201d the actor recalled. \u201c\u2018These are the people I\u2019ve hired. It\u2019s 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\u2019m telling you, it would be very important.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIt was the first time I felt someone who made so many things possible for me being like, \u2018I need you,\u2019\u201d Yang continued. \u201cAnd I\u2019m like, \u2018I\u2019m not going to turn that down.\u2019 I felt good about it \u2026 It was my one chance to till the soil.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Looking back on his last day at \u201cSNL<\/a>,\u201d Yang said the cast signed a cue card with heartfelt messages that came full circle with what Michaels had told him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cAshley Padilla, who was having one of the best seasons anyone\u2019s ever had, wrote \u2014 I hope it\u2019s OK that I\u2019m sharing this \u2014 \u2018You taught me how to be at this show, how to behave and how to treat people, and thank you. I\u2019ll never forget that,\u2019\u201d said Yang.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the thing I\u2019m proudest of,\u201d he continued. \u201cMy last sketch \u2014 I hope the footage never makes it out, of me at table read, because I\u2019m a fucking mess, sobbing \u2014 the thing that broke me was just saying, \u2018The thing I love most about this place is the people. Look how hard they work.\u2019 I\u2019m between Ariana Grande<\/a> and Cher, and I look out, and it\u2019s basically every single person who works at that show.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Yang added, \u201cI\u2019d never seen that before for anyone else\u2019s departure. I was like, \u2018Oh, this is the most rewarding snapshot I can ever internalize in my life. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever encounter this ever again.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Yang confirmed his departure from \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d<\/a> in December following several reports, revealing the news in an Instagram post<\/a> where he wrote, \u201ci loved working at SNL, and most of all i loved the people.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201ci\u2019m grateful for every minute of my time there,\u201d he added. \u201cthank you to lorne for the job. 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\u2019t believe i was ever included in that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n During his final episode, the \u201cWicked\u201d star bid farewell to the show in a meta sketch alongside co-star Ariana Grande and musical guest Cher, portraying an airport employee working his last shift.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Yang was among several \u201cSNL\u201d cast members who departed last year, alongside Heidi Gardner<\/a>, Ego Nwodim<\/a>, Michael Longfellow<\/a>, Devon Walker<\/a> and Emil Wakim<\/a>. While all of their exits were confirmed ahead of Season 51, Yang\u2019s was marked by an especially heartfelt on-air sendoff.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Since then, the long-running sketch comedy series has added several new faces to the cast<\/a>, including Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane and Veronika Slowikowska.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Yang](\"https:\/\/img.huffingtonpost.com\/asset\/6a2860e11400006f846b4bd7.jpeg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
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