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\n Related: <\/span>Ariana Grande and ‘Wicked’ Costar Bowen Yang Sing, Fight and Kiss on ‘SNL’<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\tWicked costars Ariana Grande and Bowen Yang proved besties do it better during the Saturday, October 12, episode of Saturday Night Live. Grande, 31, returned to host Saturday\u2019s episode \u2014 her second time emceeing the variety show after 2016 \u2014 where she showed off her enduring bond with Yang, 33. (Grande and Yang, of course, [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI loved working at SNL<\/i>, and most of all I loved the people,\u201d Yang wrote in a lengthy Instagram statement <\/span><\/a>hours before the show. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\nThe comedian added, \u201cI\u2019m 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\u2019t, which is the besssst.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yang, who joined SNL <\/i>in 2017 as a writer one year before joining the cast, also offered his gratitude to Grande in his statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you to Ari for sending me off in the dreamiest way I could imagine,\u201d Yang concluded. \u201cThe show doesn\u2019t go on because it\u2019s ready, but s***, I hope I am.\u201d<\/p>\n\n![\"Bowen-Yang-SNL-NUP_209545_00015\"](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Bowen-Yang-SNL-NUP_209545_00015.jpg?w=1000&quality=86&strip=all\")
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\n Bowen Yang.<\/span> Will Heath\/NBC<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTo close out the show, Yang starred in a holiday travel-themed <\/span><\/a>sketch with Grande and musical guest Cher<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\u201cI can\u2019t believe you\u2019re retiring,\u201d Grande\u2019s character mused, to which Yang subsequently replied, \u201cI just wanted to go out on top!\u201d<\/p>\n
The number ended with the trio hugging before Yang burst into tears.<\/p>\n
Yang and Grande initially bonded while playing school friends in the Wicked <\/i>film adaptations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve learned so many things from Ariana Grande. I\u2019ve learned about overcoming things,\u201d Yang told Esquire<\/i><\/span><\/a> earlier this month. \u201cI lost a sense of myself while we were shooting Wicked because it was just the back-to-back work of doing SNL<\/i> and then going to London for Wicked<\/i> and then doing SNL<\/i> again and going to London. It really unmoored me, and Ari very gently brought me back to shore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nThank You!<\/h3>\n
You have successfully subscribed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
The comedian added, \u201cI\u2019m 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\u2019t, which is the besssst.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yang, who joined SNL <\/i>in 2017 as a writer one year before joining the cast, also offered his gratitude to Grande in his statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you to Ari for sending me off in the dreamiest way I could imagine,\u201d Yang concluded. \u201cThe show doesn\u2019t go on because it\u2019s ready, but s***, I hope I am.\u201d<\/p>\n To close out the show, Yang starred in a holiday travel-themed <\/span><\/a>sketch with Grande and musical guest Cher<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe you\u2019re retiring,\u201d Grande\u2019s character mused, to which Yang subsequently replied, \u201cI just wanted to go out on top!\u201d<\/p>\n The number ended with the trio hugging before Yang burst into tears.<\/p>\n Yang and Grande initially bonded while playing school friends in the Wicked <\/i>film adaptations.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve learned so many things from Ariana Grande. I\u2019ve learned about overcoming things,\u201d Yang told Esquire<\/i><\/span><\/a> earlier this month. \u201cI lost a sense of myself while we were shooting Wicked because it was just the back-to-back work of doing SNL<\/i> and then going to London for Wicked<\/i> and then doing SNL<\/i> again and going to London. It really unmoored me, and Ari very gently brought me back to shore.\u201d<\/p>\n You have successfully subscribed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>
\n Bowen Yang.<\/span> Will Heath\/NBC<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThank You!<\/h3>\n
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