For the first episode of “Saturday Night Live’s” 50th season, Bowen Yang dressed up as Moo Deng, a baby hippo the internet was then obsessed with. Yang’s all-in appearance during the series’ “Weekend Update” segment conflated Moo Deng’s journey with that of reluctant pop star Chappell Roan — a surprising combination that captivated the audience.
“I was surprised by the way it took off,” Yang says, speaking over Zoom from New York. “We were juxtaposing these two cultural things, the ways that people were pushing through any sense of boundaries that these two living beings had. It was observational, and I think the response was this force-multiplying thing where people did not think these two lenses could be stuck on top of each other.”
As with many of his popular sketches, Yang found it fascinating to follow the trajectory of the appearance after the episode aired. On one hand, he was thrilled by its levity. But he also describes having “a self-flagellating instinct” to worry it would lose its relevance. “It has all these different directional tensions to it, and I’m proud of it,” he says. “But a sketch is such a disposable medium that is both great and that feels like there is no bottom, so you constantly have to keep filling it.”
Since joining “SNL” as a writer in 2018 and then as a cast member in 2019, Yang has delighted viewers with his willingness to play everyone from a famous hippo to George Santos to Charli XCX. He’s sung with Lady Gaga, kissed Ariana Grande and portrayed the iceberg that sank the Titanic. His eclectic approach has not only earned him four Emmy nods for supporting actor in a comedy series but also solidified him as a fan favorite.
“My only intention at the show has been to try as many things as possible,” he says. “With impressions, I’m like, ‘Let me just try it. Let me try my hand at these little dishes and go from there.’ That was my approach even when I could have really specialized. And I have the show to thank for giving me an opportunity to try out different things.”
There was one impression that Yang was less sure about. In Season 50, “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels asked Yang to play Vice President JD Vance. The comedian says he “very intentionally” tried to talk Michaels out of it, but he wouldn’t budge. “So I put my best foot forward,” Yang says. “I hired a dialect coach. I requested a screen test to get the beard right. I tried color contacts. I feel like I’ve developed this reputation where I will do my best even if I don’t think I’m the best person for it.”
Yang says he will step back into Vance’s beard again for Season 51 if he’s called on to reprise the role, even if he would prefer to put his energy elsewhere. “It might sound like a complaint to say I really didn’t want to do it, but it truly just is me reflecting on it,” Yang says. “I’m really honored and proud to have done it. And I thought a lot about the legacy of other cast members who have done vice presidential impressions in the past, like Beck Bennett, Jason Sudeikis and Tina Fey. Those are all heroic comedians to me.”
Being part of “SNL” has helped to hone Yang’s comedic instincts, as well as his ability to pitch and write sketches on an impossibly fast-paced timeline. He’s not sure if being on the late-night show has made him funnier, but it has made him quicker. “You are absorbing every kind of comedic sensibility and every kind of production instinct,” he says. “I don’t think I’m a better comedian, but I do think I have a sense of how to bring something to the finish line.”
This year, Yang made Emmy history by becoming the most-nominated Asian male performer, with a total of four acting nominations. The accolade wasn’t something that occurred to Yang until it was published in a headline, but he is nonetheless pleased, calling it a “genuinely singular thing.” He remembers Michaels telling him that “people won’t know what to make of you” during his first season in the cast, and it’s gratifying to know that his Asian and gay identities resonate with the audience.
“The best thing about ‘SNL’ in the last few years is that it’s this really representative cross-section of all different schools of comedy,” Yang says. “We have club comedians, alt comedians, people who came up on TikTok, sketch people, improv people, Black people, queer people — every kind of comedy has a place in the show.”
In November, Yang will return as Pfannee in “Wicked: For Good.” He also hosts a podcast, “Las Culturistas,” with Matt Rogers. But after the whirlwind of “Wicked” going to the Oscars and “SNL” celebrating its 50th anniversary, Yang is not planning to add anything else to his plate as he prepares for the next season of “SNL.” Still, he admits that he has considered what he might do next.
“Everyone starts thinking about life after ‘SNL’ as soon as they start ‘SNL,’” he says. “You constantly think about the outcome once you call it or once it’s called for you. I could end up on the chopping block, who knows. That was brought to the fore during ‘SNL 50.’ No matter what happens here at this place, no matter what the political climate is or the cultural climate is, there’s something beautiful about being able to gather and reflect and appreciate each other. I can’t wait to be on a porch with James Austin Johnson or Sarah Sherman one day, decades from now, and be like, ‘Wow. What a trip.’”
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