– Bowen Yang nearly played Ken in a Barbie sketch
– China marked the first time a male SNL cast member portrayed an Asian nation
– The Barbie sketch got cut after dress rehearsal
Bowen Yang, the breakout star of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL), almost had the opportunity to play Ken in a Barbie sketch that ultimately did not air. This revelation came from one of SNL’s writers, Sudi Green, during a recent episode of the “Los Culturistas” podcast.
In the same podcast, Green praised Yang’s remarkable talent and shared the story of a sketch that involved Bowen playing the well-known character Ken from the Barbie universe. The sketch was cut after dress rehearsal, but the initial concept featured Ken coming out of his packaging and finding out that his character was solely designed for marketing purposes so that Barbie could sell clothes. Despite the sketch not making it to the final episode, it shows the versatile skills and possibilities that Yang brings to the show.
Bowen Yang also made history when he portrayed China in a “Cold Open” sketch. This marked the first time a male SNL cast member played an Asian nation, reflecting the importance of diversity and representation in the media.