Bowen Yang is an American comedian, actor, and writer who has rapidly risen to fame in recent years. He is best known for being a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for co-hosting the popular podcast Las Culturistas. With his sharp comedic talents and memorable onscreen persona, Yang has built an impressive Career in the entertainment industry.
| Name: | Bowen Yang |
| Net Worth: | $5 Million |
| Salary: | $0.3 Million + |
| Monthly Income: | $35,000 + |
| Profession: | American actor |
| Age: | 33 Yrs |
| Height: | 5′ 8″ (1.73 m) |
| Yearly Income: | $0.4 Million + |
| Nationality: | American |
| Date Of Birth: | 1990-11-06 |
| Birth Place: | Brisbane, Australia |
| Gender: | male |
| Parents: | Rulin Yang and Meng Yang |
Net Worth
As of 2023, Bowen Yang’s net worth is estimated to be around $3 million. The bulk of his wealth has come from his salary and earnings from Saturday Night Live, where cast members are paid $25,000 per episode. With over 100 SNL episodes under his belt so far, this accounts for a significant portion of Yang’s net worth.
Additional income streams include his podcast, Comedy tours, acting roles in shows like The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special, hosting gigs, and endorsements. As Yang continues his run on SNL and lands more high-profile jobs, his net worth is expected to steadily rise in the coming years.
Early Life and Education
Bowen Yang was born on August 7, 1990 in Brisbane, Australia to Chinese immigrant parents. His family moved to Colorado in the United States when Yang was young. He spent most of his childhood in the Denver area and later attended New York University, graduating with a chemistry degree in 2013.
However, Yang quickly realized his passion was in comedy and creative arts rather than the hard sciences. He began taking improv and writing classes while still in college to hone his skills. After graduating NYU, Yang started performing standup around New York City.
Career Beginnings
Yang’s comedy career took off rapidly once he began committing fully to it after college. He performed standup sets and improv shows at famous NYC venues like Caroline’s on Broadway and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.
His breakout moment came when a video of Yang doing an amusing lip sync routine at one of his standup shows went viral on Twitter. The clip, which shows Yang dressed in exaggeratively preppy clothing dancing to pop songs, garnered over 100,000 views.
The viral attention led to Yang making appearances on popular online shows like Gay of Thrones. It also helped him land a writing job at Comedy Central’s The Jim Jefferies Show. These opportunities further raised Yang’s profile within comedy circles and established him as an up-and-comer to watch in NYC.
Landing SNL and Recent Projects
The biggest opportunity of Yang’s career so far came in early 2019 when he was hired as a featured player on Saturday Night Live. He had auditioned for a role twice before without being casted.
But on his third SNL audition, Yang finally got his big break and made history as the show’s first ever Chinese-American and third openly gay male cast member. Fans and critics enjoyed Yang’s flamboyant energy and the new perspective he brought to sketches.
Halfway through his first SNL season, he was promoted to repertory player – an indicator that the show’s producers see him as an integral long-term cast member rather than someone filling temporary minor roles.
Outside of SNL, some other notable Bowen Yang projects over the past couple years include:
- Co-hosting the popular podcast Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers
- Voicing roles on animated shows like Big Mouth and Mira, Royal Detective
- Appearing in the 2020 romantic comedy The Broken Hearts Gallery
- Co-starring in the 2022 comedy-drama Fire Island directed by Andrew Ahn
With his career shooting into overdrive the past few years, Yang has proven himself as one of the most talented comedic performers and actors of his generation. As he continues nurturing his creative voice, even bigger opportunities likely await on the horizon.
Personal Life
Little is known publicly about Bowen Yang’s romantic relationships or personal life as he remains quite private about those aspects. However, Yang is openly gay and some of his past comedy work has incorporated themes about navigating life as an LGBTQ+ person.
In interviews, Yang has spoken about how he didn’t come out as gay to his family and friends until his mid-20s after college. He has said part of the reason he held off was fear over how his traditional Chinese parents might react or disapprove.
Fortunately, Yang’s family was supportive when he did come out. And being more open about his sexuality has allowed Yang to channel some of those life experiences into his creative outlets.
Yang seems well-liked by fellow performers and maintains an active social circle with friends in the New York comedy world. Fans can catch glimpses of Yang’s friendships and personal interests by following him on Instagram @fayedunaway.
When he’s not working on SNL or other productions, Yang enjoys exploring art galleries, trying out new restaurants in NYC, going to concerts or music festivals, and de-stressing through leisure travel.
Age and Height
Bowen Yang was born on August 7, 1990. As of 2023, he is 32 years old.
In regards to his height, Yang is reportedly 6’1” or 185 cm tall. His height gives him versatility to take on a range of comedic personas and characters.
FAQ About Bowen Yang
Here are some frequently asked questions about up-and-coming star Bowen Yang:
What ethnicity is Bowen Yang?
Yang is Chinese-American. Both his parents immigrated to the United States from China.
Is Bowen Yang the first cast member of Saturday Night Live of full Asian descent?
Yes. When Yang was hired by SNL in 2019, he became the first cast member of fully East Asian heritage in the show’s decades-long history.
What accents does Bowen Yang do on SNL?
Fans have seen Yang demonstrate spot-on impersonations of figures like North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. He’s also tackled accents from his parents’ native region of China.
Who is Yang’s Las Culturistas co-host?
The other half of popular podcast Las Culturistas is Matt Rogers, Yang’s close friend and fellow New York-based comedian.
Is Bowen Yang active on social media?
Yes. Fans can follow him on Instagram under @fayedunaway for funny tidbits and behind-the-scenes looks related to his work.
What awards or nominations has Bowen Yang received?
Yang and SNL won Outstanding Variety Sketch Series at the 2022 GLAAD Media Awards. Individually, Yang has received Critics’ Choice TV Award and Queerties Award nominations.
Conclusion
In just a few short years, Bowen Yang has displayed his talents on screens big and small, earning the admiration of audiences and critics alike. With scene-stealing performances on Saturday Night Live establishing himself as a household name and a burgeoning film career ahead, Yang’s future in entertainment appears very bright at age 32.
As one of few openly gay Asian-American stars and comedy writers, Yang also serves as an inspirational creative role model for marginalized communities. Fans can expect even more hilarious impressions, perceptive cultural commentary, and general fabulosity from Bowen Yang for years to come.
