Bowen Yang Reflects on SNL Journey and Emotional Wicked Premiere

The comedian shares how his early struggles at SNL and lifelong connection to Wicked shaped his career milestones.

Bowen Yang revealed his first Saturday Night Live screen test in 2017 was a 'disaster' due to an awkward interaction with creator Lorne Michaels.
Despite the initial setback, Yang joined SNL as a writer in 2018 and later became the show's first Chinese-American cast member, earning four Emmy nominations to date.
Yang stars as Pfannee in the highly anticipated film adaptation of Wicked, which premiered on November 22, 2024, and has already garnered emotional reactions from audiences, including his SNL castmates.
The comedian shared how his childhood visits to both the Gershwin Theatre, home of Wicked, and NBC's 30 Rock studio inspired his dreams, which have now come full circle.
Yang credited Ariana Grande, his Wicked co-star, for advocating with Lorne Michaels to allow him to juggle filming the movie in London while continuing his work on SNL.