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Bowen Yang is opening up about his experience balancing Saturday Night Live while shooting the Wicked movies. Yang, who played Pfannee in the two-part adaptation, spoke to Rachel Sennott about his busy schedule for the two gigs during their Actors on Actors interview for Variety.
Yang remained a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live during the shoot for Wicked, which filmed in London. Flying back and forth for the projects was “incredibly difficult,” said the SNL alum, adding that it made him realize, “That I need Lexapro. And thank God — Wellbutrin was not the girl for me. It just made me even more crazy.”
The performer also shed light on his decision to leave the legendary sketch comedy series mid-season in 2025 after seven seasons as a cast member. “I never felt like I was that central to it, to be honest,” said Yang, sharing that he was ready to exit the show after its previous season.
He explained: “I never played the dad or the straight-man teacher. I was always there as the seasoning, and I’m like, “That’s great. I’m so lucky. I can’t believe I have a steady job in comedy. I will cherish it for the rest of my life.” And I just felt like it was the right time.”
Yang first joined the series as a writer ahead of its 44th season in 2018, before becoming a cast member ahead of Season 45. He was promoted as a repertory player for the show’s 47th season in 2021. He has received four Emmy nominations for his onscreen work in the show and one nomination for his writing. For his last episode, he appeared alongside his Wicked co-star Ariana Grande, who hosted.
In addition to SNL and Wicked, Yang’s other credits include film roles in Fire Island, Bros, Dicks: The Musical, and The Wedding Banquet. He has also lent his voice to animated projects, Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, The Monkey King, The Garfield Movie, and the forthcoming The Cat in the Hat. He hosts the popular podcast Las Culturistas alongside Matt Rogers.
Photo Credit: Bruce Glikas
