Bowen Yang Returns to ‘SNL’ as Jensen Huang in John Mulaney’s Cold Open

Former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Bowen Yang returned to the show this weekend to play ex-Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in the opening sketch, NBC News reported. The sketch came just days after Huang resigned from the chipmaker amid reports about his personal relationships.

John Mulaney, a former "SNL" writer, hosted the episode and led the cold open as a CIA guide lecturing tech executives. Here is what happened and why the sketch drew attention.

What happened in the cold open?

The sketch was set at a CIA gathering meant to teach prominent tech leaders how to spot a possible spy, according to NBC News. Mashable described the lesson as one about honey traps and avoiding the disclosure of state secrets to foreign operatives.

Mulaney played the CIA officer. According to Mashable, the group included Peter Thiel (James Austin Johnson), Sam Altman (Ben Marshall), Dario Amodei (Jane Wickline), Elon Musk (Jeremy Culhane) and Mark Zuckerberg (Andrew Dismukes).

When Mulaney asked what lesson the group should take from the Huang story, Dismukes' Zuckerberg offered, "Never date a human woman." Mulaney brushed the answer aside. Later, the Zuckerberg character said a woman might be drawn to him because she is comforted by his Meta glasses recording her constantly. Mulaney again said no.

How did Yang's Huang appear?

Mulaney introduced Huang as someone who learned the lesson the hard way. Yang entered using a nickname for Huang that plays on infidelity; NBC and Mashable spell the nickname slightly differently. He joked that he is into a play on the initials BDSM, "breakin' da stock market," and urged the other men not to follow his example, NBC reported.

Thiel's character pushed back on Mulaney's criticism, asking him to name one time technology had let the group down. Mulaney pointed to Friday's nationwide flight ground stop and Thursday's global Microsoft glitch. Mashable called the latter an Outlook outage.

Did Yang appear elsewhere in the show?

Yes. Yang also appeared in a later sketch, "Little Park of Horrors," a spoof of Broadway musicals, NBC reported. In it, two men played by Marcello Hernández and Kam Patterson want to ride in a horse-drawn carriage after the city outlaws them. They switch to a vehicle ride through the Lincoln Tunnel and meet Yang's Mary Todd Lincoln, who sings about the hazards of the trip.

Mashable described the piece as part of the show's tradition of Mulaney musical sketches and said Yang wore the costume from his current Broadway role. The musical guest was Phoebe Bridgers.

Who is Bowen Yang, and why is his return notable?

NBC News called Yang a fan favorite. He started at "SNL" as a writer in 2018 and joined the cast the following year. He left in December 2025 and made his Broadway debut in September as Mary Todd Lincoln in Cole Escola's "Oh, Mary!"

What is the real-world story behind the sketch?

NBC reported that Huang resigned from Nvidia on Thursday after reports that he had extramarital relationships, including one with a suspected spy for China.

Tom's Hardware reported that the saga began when U.S. intelligence sources claimed a Megaspeed executive close to Huang was passing information to Chinese intelligence. According to the outlet, Nvidia initially said Huang's contacts with the executive were not unusual, then later reports alleged an affair that Huang acknowledged. Tom's Hardware said the board, Congress and the FBI have opened investigations. It also reported that Colette Kress is serving as interim CEO. These accounts are allegations as reported by the outlet.

Why does it matter?

The sketch shows how quickly the Huang story moved from business and national-security coverage into mainstream entertainment. Mashable said the week's news felt tailor-made for a cold open.

The writers also folded in two other events that affected many people that week: the Microsoft glitch and the nationwide flight ground stop. For viewers, the episode served as a comic recap of a busy news week involving major technology companies and public figures.

Around Prague, based on reporting by NBC News, Tom's Hardware, Mashable