Bowen Yang is the first featured player in the show’s history to be nominated for an acting Emmy.
AURORA, Colo. — “Saturday Night Live” cast member and Colorado native Bowen Yang made history Tuesday when he received an Emmy nomination for his work on the show.
Yang, the first Asian American to join the cast, was nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category. It’s the first time in the show’s history that a featured player, a title given to on air talent who have been on the show less than two years, has received an Emmy nomination, according to NBC News.
Yang started as a writer on the show in 2018 and was promoted to on air cast during the 2019 season. Since then, he’s become of fan favorite for his performances in sketches and appearances on “Weekend Update.”
Yang told 9NEWS in a previous interview that his passion for comedy started 15 years ago in the halls of Smoky Hill High School in Aurora.
“I remember very vividly just feeling like we were in this together. We were gonna have fun, it still applies wherever I’ve gone. I value that deeply,” Yang said.
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Yang also said he was voted most likely to be on SNL in high school.
“The SNL superlative was just a way of packaging goofiest kid, it feels coincidental that was the title of the superlative but it’s a beautiful coincidence I think,” said Yang.
Fellow castmate Kenan Thompson was also nominated in the same category as Yang, and SNL’s Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong all received nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
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