Bowen Yang makes history twice with Saturday Night Live Emmy nomination
Bowen, who is gay, is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Words: Alastair James; picture: NBC
The queer representation at this year’s Emmys continues!
As well as Pose’s Mj Rodriguez becoming the first trans woman to be nominated in a major acting category, Saturday Night Live cast member Bowen Yang has been nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
And in the process, the star – who is gay – made history on not one, but two counts!
“CONGRATS!”
The 30-year-old, who only joined SNL in 2019, is now the first nominated featured player on the show (meaning he’s junior and hasn’t been there for as long as the likes of fellow queer comedian and SNL cast member Kate McKinnon – who’s also scored a nod this year).
What’s more, he’s reportedly the first-ever Chinese-American male actor to receive an Emmy nomination (as per Deadline). Congratulations, Bowen!
The SNL Twitter account celebrated saying: “CONGRATS!”
Bowen Yang making history as the first featured player to be nominated for an Emmy ✨
CONGRATS! pic.twitter.com/KY1GWxgNbh
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) July 13, 2021
Despite only being with SNL for a couple of years, with a lot of time last year spent devising and performing sketches at home, Yang has proved popular with fans of the show. One notable performance was his portrayal of the iceberg that sank the Titanic.
It sounds odd, but given the year we’ve all had it does seem to match the level of surreal most of us reached!
Another skit saw Yang team up with SNL alum Kristen Wiig and Dua Lipa for a hilarious period take on Whitney Houston’s ‘It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay’.
The actor has also used his platform to address anti-Asian hate crime.
Congrats to all the LGBTQ nominees at this year’s awards – including Schitt’s Creek‘s Dan Levy, nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series for his SNL hosting duties!
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