Bowen Yang opened up about the emotional rollercoaster he experienced while saying goodbye to Saturday Night Live.
Yang, 35, took to Instagram on Sunday, December 21, to reflect on his final SNL cast appearance that aired one night prior. “Slightly perilous but then reached the full sublime,” Yang wrote in an Instagram Story. It was accompanied by footage from the video game Mario Kart World where a cow flipped as he rode Rainbow Road, with Yang captioning the clip: “All day felt like this yesterday.”
The comedian continued with an explanation of what moved him to tears during his final SNL sketch alongside guest host Ariana Grande and musical guest Cher. “A train of waving friends riding alongside??? It was seeing and hearing from so many people whose love overwhelmed me to tears,” Yang wrote. “I will never experience anything like that in my life.”
Yang was seen crying during a holiday travel-themed sketch when his Wicked: For Good costar, 32, and Cher, 79, serenaded him with the Christmas song “Please Come Home for Christmas.” The sketch made reference to the comedian’s departure from SNL after seven seasons.
“I can’t believe you’re retiring,” Grande told Yang during the performance, to which Yang responded: “I just wanted to go out on top.”
Grande then quipped, “Everyone knows you’re a bottom, honey.”
An additional Instagram Story from Yang on Sunday night included a photo of him standing inside his dressing room which had been decorated with balloons and bunting that read ‘Congrats.” Yang captioned the shot, “Slowly responding to messages. Thank you for being so kind.”
Another Instagram Story featured a photo of Grande and Yang together with the singer leaning her head on her friend’s shoulder. “I can’t believe there are 492 NEW ways @arianagrande has changed my life after last night,” Yang wrote before adding a black-and-white image of the pair hugging backstage.
News of Yang’s departure from SNL broke on Friday, December 19, with Yang addressing the news via his Instagram grid one day later. “I loved working at SNL, and most of all I loved the people. I was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 rock taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile,” he wrote at the time. “I’m grateful for every minute of my time there. I learned about myself (bad with wigs). I learned about others (generous, vulnerable, hot). I learned that human error can be nothing but correct. I learned that comedy is mostly logistics and that it will usually fail until it doesn’t, which is the besssst.”
After Grande’s hosting duties were over, she took to her own Instagram Stories to pay tribute to Yang. “I love you more than words can say and I am just so very proud of you and all of the eggnog you’ve made over the years,” she wrote on Sunday alongside footage of Yang performing the final live skit.
Grande continued, “It meant more than words can say to have been there for your sendoff last night. Happy trails, my brilliant and beautiful friend.”
