Bowen Yang has received an Emmy nomination Tuesday for his work on Saturday Night Live, Entertainment Weekly reports. He is the first-ever featured player on SNL to receive an Emmy nomination.
The comedian is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he is the first Chinese American man to be nominated in the category.
Yang began his SNL career as a writer in 2018, NBC News reports. After spending one season on the writing team, he became the first Asian American to join the cast of SNL.
According to Entertainment Weekly, “featured player” refers to a cast member who has only been with the show for two seasons or less. While seasoned SNL cast members have received Emmy nominations in the past, a featured player never has.
Critics, peers and fans have praised Yang for the way he has addressed the rise in anti-Asian racism during the pandemic on SNL.
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