Overview
- Yang's final appearance aired Dec. 20 in an episode hosted by Ariana Grande with Cher as musical guest.
- He began at SNL as a writer in 2018, joined the cast in 2019, and was later promoted to the repertory company.
- The Emmy-nominated performer accrued five nominations and was the show's first Chinese American cast member.
- The exit follows a wider Season 51 overhaul that included departures of several cast members and the addition of new faces.
- No single reason was given, though ongoing work on projects like Wicked, the Las Culturistas podcast, and a planned Searchlight film provides context as SNL returns in January.