History of Bowen Yang in Timeline

Bowen Yang is an American actor, comedian, writer, and podcaster best known for his work on Saturday Night Live (SNL). He joined SNL as a writer in 2018 and was promoted to a cast member in 2019. Yang achieved a historic milestone in 2021 as the first SNL featured player to receive a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. He was later promoted to repertory status before the show's 47th season, solidifying his place as a prominent figure in comedy and entertainment.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1975: Start of SNL

Since 1975, SNL has had comparatively low representation of LGBTQ on-air cast and guest hosts.

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1986: Family Emigrated from China

In 1986, Bowen Yang's family emigrated from China to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

November 6, 1990: Bowen Yang Born

On November 6, 1990, Bowen Yang was born. He would later become an American actor, comedian, podcaster, and writer.

Others born on this day/year

2008: High School Graduation

In 2008, Bowen Yang graduated from high school. He was named homecoming king and voted "Most Likely to Be a Cast Member on Saturday Night Live" in his high school's yearbook.

2008: Moved to New York City

In 2008, Bowen Yang moved to New York City and joined his sister at NYU. He also came to accept being gay, incorporating it into his comedy.

2013: Worked at One Kings Lane

From 2013, Bowen Yang worked at One Kings Lane, a luxury interior and home design website, as a graphic designer.

2016: Study of SNL Hosts

In 2016, a study of SNL revealed that 90% of the show's hosts from 1975-2016 were white.

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2016: Las Culturistas Premiere

In 2016, the podcast Las Culturistas, co-hosted by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, premiered.

September 2018: Joined SNL Writing Staff

In September 2018, Bowen Yang was hired to join the writing staff of the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live ahead of its 44th season.

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2018: Left One Kings Lane

In 2018, Bowen Yang ended his employment at One Kings Lane, where he worked as a graphic designer since 2013.

2018: Hired as SNL Writer

In 2018, Bowen Yang was hired as a staff writer on Saturday Night Live for the show's 44th season.

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2018: Shorty Award Nomination

In 2018, the Las Culturistas podcast was nominated for a Shorty Award, recognizing the best in social media.

January 2019: Forbes 30 Under 30

In January 2019, Bowen Yang was named to Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 Hollywood & Entertainment list.

September 2019: Promoted to SNL Featured Player

In September 2019, Bowen Yang was promoted to featured player on Saturday Night Live for the show's 45th season, becoming the show's first ever Chinese-American cast member.

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September 2019: Las Culturistas Episodes

As of September 2019, the podcast Las Culturistas had over 300 episodes.

September 28, 2019: First Episode as Regular Cast Member

On September 28, 2019, Bowen Yang's first episode as a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live aired, with Woody Harrelson as host.

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October 2019: Debut on Weekend Update

In October 2019, Bowen Yang made his debut on Weekend Update (WU) as Chinese trade representative Chen "Trade Daddy" Biao on Saturday Night Live.

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2019: Writing Credits on SNL

In 2019, Bowen Yang had writing credits on 21 episodes of Saturday Night Live.

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2019: Viral Twitter Posts

In 2019, Bowen Yang received press coverage for his viral Twitter posts consisting of expertly-timed lip-sync videos of famous movie scenes.

January 2020: Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens Premiere

In January 2020, Bowen Yang appeared as Nora Lum's mobile app-developer cousin in the Comedy Central sitcom Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens.

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September 2021: Guest on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

In September 2021, Bowen Yang appeared as a guest on the NPR news quiz Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

September 2021: Promoted to Repertory Status on SNL

In September 2021, Bowen Yang was promoted to repertory status on Saturday Night Live at the start of the show's 47th season.

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2021: Time 100

In 2021, Bowen Yang appeared on the Time 100, Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

2021: Emmy Nomination

In 2021, Bowen Yang became the first SNL featured player to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category.