10 'Saturday Night Live' Hosts Who Killed It
Killing Eve star Sandra Oh is set to host Saturday Night Live at the end of this month, March 30. We are SO excited to see what she comes up with for her monologue and sketches, especially considering she is just as strong a comedic talent as she is dramatic. Maybe she and SNL player Kate McKinnon (The Spy Who Dumped Me) might dabble in a live cat and mouse chase (like, literally)?
While we're sure Oh has got this covered, here is a sketchbook of sorts made up of previous hosts' successful appearances:
1. Benedict Cumberbatch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKZg0wnL7U
Beck Bennett was a little confused by why his fellow cast members were all aflutter over Cumberbatch being on-set, so he created a game show to figure out the answer to "Why is Benedict Cumberbatch Hot?" The only three contestants were fellow SNLers Vanessa Bayer and Aidy Bryant, and Benedict Cumberbatch himself. While a little uncomfortable, Cumberbatch handled the awkward situation in stride and Bennett could see the error of his ways by the end of it. Oh may not have competed on a game show about herself, but she's been known to tackle what could be tense situations, like hosting this year's Golden Globes in which she was also nominated... and won.
2. Tom Hanks
https://twitter.com/nbcsnl/status/788206492704919552?lang=en
In 1990, Tom Hanks introduced The Five-Timers Club, an exclusive membership only accessible to those who had hosted the show five times or more. At that time, the club included Hanks, Steve Martin, Elliot Gould and Paul Simon. In the above clip, where the club is formed, we can see why Hanks is invited back regularly; he is able to have a laugh at himself. There's no set guidelines on how to handle hosting duties, but if there were... being able to laugh at one self would probably be No. 1 on the list. Oh proved early on in her career that she is capable of this.
3. Chris Hemsworth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkFjwn-4R4g
Chris Hemsworth was tricky in the above "Brunch" sketch. He played a woman by the name of Claire, who was really Hemsworth in disguise. At first glance, Hemsworth blends in seamlessly, he looks that good in drag. Slowly but surely the other brunch guests picked up on the fact that "Claire" was actually the Thor star crashing their brunch. He had a good reason though, wanting to make sure he's still relevant. We already know Oh has made it, so she can use this as a what not to do.
4. Ian McKellen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQhJ40QM6zc
We expected to see Sir Ian McKellen when watching the above clip of Weekend Update, but in fact we got Dame Maggie Smith. Okay, okay, it was McKellen as Smith, but what a sendup it was. It makes us wonder: did McKellen run this past Smith first? It's quite entertaining, definitely surprising, but not necessarily the most flattering of imitations.. If Oh is planning on making fun of any of her peers, maybe it's worth sending off a warning flare?
5. Jonah Hill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3-kzHaqbPA
Jonah Hill is the most recent five-timer, hosting for the fifth time at the end of 2018. One of his most memorable characters is of six-year-old Adam Grossman. In the above clip, Grossman and his step-mother go out to dinner. The two sit at a communal table, where Grossman chats up two restaurant-goers. Hill talked about the backstory of Grossman when appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers, which Bill Hader came up with after a visit to a Benihana in his hometown. Hmm, Oh has a lot of personal material to pull from. Maybe we'll see her parents represented in some form or other!?
6. Idris Elba
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYSbk_tTsjk
On the other hand, Idris Elba made his hosting debut earlier this month. Elba is probably best known for dramatic roles, like in Luther and Beasts Of No Nation, but he indeed brought the LOLs. In the above sketch he portrays a working actor on a game show called "Can I Play That?" It seems to be riffing off of whether or not Elba can play James Bond, which has been an ongoing discussion for a while now. SNL is known to take more serious topics and give them a comedic slant, making it a more digestible conversation to have. Oh candidly discussed the lack of roles for her post-Grey's Anatomy. We can see her addressing controversial topics in her monologue or part of the ensemble work on SNL.
7. Steve Martin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGv6uo89yMY
Steve Martin has hosted SNL 15 times, and has had additional guest appearances, with his character Georg Festrunk being an all-time favorite. Martin and Dan Aykroyd created the Festrunk brothers, debuting in 1977. The brothers who migrated from Czechoslovakia worked to mesh with Americans at hot spots like bars, dance clubs and art exhibits. Their catchphrase is still known today: "We are, two wild and crazy guys!!" Oh's Killing Eve character Eve Polastri has a number of one-liners like, "It's amazing how efficient things are when you're a dick to people," and "My tits are about to fall off." We can see Oh pulling off a zinger of a catchphrase that is quotable years from now.
8. Daniel Radcliffe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9cYmqIbPKI
In 2012, Daniel Radcliffe swung by SNL to host and he didn't let anything stand in his way... including clothing. In the above clip he joins Kristen Wiig in a sketch based in Target. Radcliffe plays an employee by the name of Boogie. In an attempt to impress his coworker, he rips his shirt open to reveal his buff bod. Oh isn't one to shy away from sexy storylines. It'd be fun to see her incorporate some of that risk-taking in her upcoming performance.
9. Justin Timberlake
In 2009, Justin Timberlake coaxed Beyoncé into co-starring in a sketch with him by showing up to her dressing room in a leotard, tights and heels, aka Sexy Lady uniform. We see the end result in the above music video parody. Oh is more than enough on her own, but who knows, maybe she'll talk a colleague into joining her? Oh, you know, possibly Jodie Comer, aka Villanelle. We shall put that on our wish-list.
10. Alec Baldwin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuY0qgd3I4g
And, finally, Alec Baldwin holds the title of Host with the Most (appearances.) Baldwin has hosted 17 times, with Steve Martin coming in a close second with 15. While the above list puts a spotlight on sketches, let's not forget the monologue, which kicks off the entire show. During his 17th monologue above, SNLer Pete Davidson joins Baldwin on stage and it turns into a little bit of a roast. Davidson is shocked by what Baldwin looks like now, compared to his first turn on SNL in 1990. Definitely something for Oh to keep in mind, live TV can be a tough crowd.
You can look for Sandra Oh on SNL this coming Saturday, March 30.
What are you hoping for out of her performance?