Saturday Night Live Season 51’s cast is going to look very different from that of the previous season. That’s because over the past few weeks, cast changes have been revealed, with several notable names having been cut from the roster. One of the stars who’s since been let go amid the changes is Heidi Gardner, who was on the sketch comedy for eight seasons. A number of fans weren’t happy about Gardner’s exit and, as many continue to process the news, her ex-cast member, Bowen Yang, is heaping major praise on her.
Heidi Gardner Receives Kind Words From Former Co-Star Bowen Yang
Bowen Yang’s stint at SNL began in 2019 and, since then, he’d had the opportunity to work alongside Heidi Gardner at the hallowed halls of Studio 8H. Up until this point, Yang had only alluded to the various cast changes happening at his show. He broke his silence, however, during the latest episode of his Las Culturistas podcast. Both Yang and co-host Matt Rogers praised Gardner, deeming her “one of the greats” of the long-running NBC show. Yang then proceeded to share some sweet memories of working with Gardner:
She would be one of the only cast members who the room internally, on Wednesday, could trust with being a solo writer on. They have our names at the top of each sketch script… It's always like a very vulnerable thing as a cast member to put only your name on it. But there’s just like, something in the room just kinda shifts. But anytime you saw just 'Gardner,' you knew you were in good hands. She would take it upon herself to write pieces for other cast [members].
Gardner earned a solid reputation amongst SNL viewers, becoming a fan-favorite due to her various performances. During her time on the show, Gardner imitated celebrities like Taylor Swift, Allison Janney and Drew Barrymore. She also portrayed original characters like teen film critic Bailey Gismert and Angel, a boxer’s girlfriend. While Yang acknowledged how “fucking funny” he always thought Gardner was. Yet his comments also speak to Gardner’s generosity, which he emphasized by mentioning one particular accomplishment:
She wrote a whole ass [Weekend Update] feature for Punkie Johnson one year. It was one of the most beautiful, kindest gestures I’ve ever seen at that show. And her heart was so big and clearly so fucking funny.
The kindness that Heidi Gardner showed her cast mates apparently extended beyond their work on the show. Bowen Yang went on to recall how she served as a positive force during the COVID lockdown:
[She was] a true anchor on that show, especially during those lockdown days during COVID. We all kinda had people, I hope do this, but [she was] one of the first people who was just like, 'Okay, just to get through this, let's just each wake up, no rush, there's no time limit — let's just each text each other every day, something that made us smile today.’ And that was this foothold that I had emotionally in terms of knowing we were just sharing music and — just a truly beautiful person.
It’s incredibly heartwarming to hear these kinds of sentiments about Heidi Gardner. The Wicked: For Good star didn’t just shout out Gardner, though, as he also shared some thoughts on his other exiting SNL co-stars.
What Bowen Yang Had To Say About The Other SNL Cast Members Who Recently Left The Show
Just a few weeks ago, Devon Walker became the first SNL cast member to exit the show ahead of Season 51. It was later reported that Emil Wakim was being let go and that Michael Longfellow would exit the series as well. On Las Culturistas, Bowen Yang offered some kind words for the trio of Saturday Night Live alums:
And just to shout out Devon [Walker], Emil [Wakim], Michael Longfellow. They were fantastic comedians going in, they are fantastic comedians coming out. Those are some A+ gems.
With familiar faces head out the door, producer Lorne Michaels and co. have tapped several new stars to join the SNL cast, one of which is Please Don’t Destroy alum Ben Marshall. Viewers are going to have to get used to this new-look cast as the upcoming season goes on. Right now, though, I just love that Bowen Yang took some time to talk up his former co-stars, including Heidi Gardner, whose future looks bright.
Saturday Night Live returns on October 4 at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC as part of the 2025 TV schedule, and episodes will also be streamable for anyone with a Peacock subscription.
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