Bowen Yang opened up about the emotional roller-coaster 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 the night prior. “Slightly perilous but then reached the full sublime,” he wrote on his Story alongside footage from the video game Mario Kart World in which a cow flipped while riding Rainbow Road. Yang captioned 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 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,” he wrote. “I will never experience anything like that in my life.”
Yang cried during a holiday travel-themed sketch when his Wicked: For Good costar, 32, and Cher, 79, serenaded him with the Christmas song “Please Come Replica Luxury Handbag for Christmas.” The skit made reference to the comic’s departure from SNL after seven seasons.
“I can’t believe you’re retiring,” Grande told Yang during the performance, to which he responded, “I just wanted to go out on top.”
Grande then quipped to Yang, who is openly gay, “Everyone knows you’re a bottom, honey.”
An additional Instagram Story from Yang on Sunday included a photo of him standing inside his dressing room, which had been decorated with balloons and bunting that read “Congrats.” He 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,” he 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 him 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.”
