What makes a great Saturday Night Live sketch? Well it definitely needs good writing, there’s that of course, but sometimes there are skits that stand the test of time or feel like authentic winners from the moment they’re taped for different reasons. Maybe it’s a recurring character in the making, a particular star seen in a role that’d be pretty hard to imagine otherwise, a punchline that permeates pop culture forever, or in some cases it’s an Oscar nominee breaking character because they can’t contain their laughter.
Throughout its 40 plus years, SNL has had plenty of movie stars walk into the studio to host, make a small cameo or even hone their acting skills from the depths of Studio 8H. Here are some of the best SNL skits to be found, both old and new, but only the ones with movie stars are allowed:
Ok, this one is cheating a little bit, because the movie stardom came after the appearance. Eddie Murphy made his name as SNL’s saving grace during the 80’s, where he played several iconic characters such as as Gumby, Buckwheat or James Brown, but Mr. Robinson’s foreshadowing of the gig economy takes the nod here. A parody of the children’s show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, the recurring skit had Murphy teaching children some rather unconventional lessons and suspicious spelling of words.
Murphy went on to become one of the biggest movie stars of the 90’s and an Oscar nominee for his more serious films, but it all began back in SNL. He even came back to reprise some of these roles, including Mr. Robinson, securing himself an Emmy award for it.
A lot of ideas originally conceived in SNL eventually branched off into their own feature movies, yet one of them towers above the rest as the sole recipient of both critical and commercial success. In 1989 the world went down to Wayne Campbell’s basement (or rather his mom’s), joining Wayne (Mike Myers) and his friend Garth (Dana Carvey) for broadcasts of the dudes’ local TV metalhead late show.
The film catapulted Mike Myers, who went on to star in the Shrek and Austin Power sagas, with the latter showcasing a lot the signature expressive humor that he was known for in SNL. The bit chosen has host Tom Hanks play a roadie for musical guests Aerosmith, enough said.
No SNL discussion could be complete without the GOAT himself, Alec Baldwin. Having hosted the show a whopping 17 times, in recent years Baldwin gained notoriety for his imitation of President Trump but his SNL legacy spans much further.
Perhaps the peak of powers was seen on a cold December night, when Pete Schweddy went on NPR to give the hosts a taste of his signature dessert, Schweddy balls. Kudos to Ana Gesteyer and Molly Shannon for somehow managing to contain their laughter.
One of the most legendary skits in SNL’s history simply goes for a fictitious studio outtake of Blue Oyster’s Cult recording of their hit single “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”. In it the audience is treated to an all-out performance from cowbell player Gene Frenkle (Will Ferrell), as the band takes cues from famed producer The Bruce Dickinson (Christopher Walken) who keeps insisting on them to give him “more cowbell”.
After airing, the sketch pretty much took on a life of its own and it made Ferrell the world’s most famous cowbell player, sought after by bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day and the Beastie Boys.
Scarlett Johansson is one of 5 women to have etched her name in SNL’s Fiver-Timers Club, so it’s fair to say she offers a wide choice of skits. A known native New Yorker, she’s pretty fond of whipping out her Jersey accent every now and then, which she does to great effect along Fred Armisen to try to push the idea that marble columns can truly go anywhere in the house.
Her Black Widow parody trailer is funny, but it’s probably for the best to wait and see how the first female Avenger does on her own to see how well it ages.
Christoph Waltz can play any role, so it wouldn’t be that surprising if Quentin Tarantino actually cast him as Jesus Christ himself. The pre-taped segment basically writes itself after the initial premise, but all the references are there and with so many SNL skits going on to become their own thing, it sure is nice to imagine what Tarantino genius could pull off with a resurrected Jesus.
Will Ferrell solidly ranks as one of SNL’s most notable alumni, so much that they brought him back as Alex Trebek for another go at Celebrity Jeopardy in the show’s 40th anniversary. The skit brings back Trebek’s most unnerving guests throughout the years, Sean Connery (Darell Hammond ) and Burt Reynolds (Norm Macdonald), as well as cameo appearances by Alec Baldwin and Jim Carrey.
Speaking of Tarantino, when coming up with this one writers said Ryan Gosling wanted to add a dash of Pulp Fiction and Natural Born Killers, and the end result is marvelous. A new couple in the neighborhood gets invited to a Christmas party, but things get a little out of control once their excitement to meet Santa goes overboard.
Ryan Gosling has been one of the show’s better hosts in the past few years, appearing in other fantastic skits like “Papyrus” and even outright bursting in laughter when faced with one of Kate McKinnon’s best bits in “Another Close Encounter”.
Adam Driver manages to kill two birds with one stone, pleasing both Kylo Ren fans and haters with an Undercover Boss that ridicules the leader of the Knights of Ren and champion of the First Order, as he attempts to camouflage himself under the alias of Matt the radar technician.
After only 2 years of galactic silence, “Matt the Radar Technician” found himself immortalized in video games too, with the skit inspiring modders to add Matt as a skin in Star Wars Battlefront 2.
Is this the best use of American treasure Tom Hanks’ talent? Probably not. The brilliance to David S. Pumpkins lies in its simplicity and pure absurdity. When this piece aired the audience could have felt as confused and the couple in the elevator, but fast-forward one year later and David Pumpkins was so funny he had his own Halloween special.
Hanks is a SNL staple, he’s hosted the show 10 times, including his most recent one during the pandemic, but David Pumpkins is his most viral performance and a hard one to beat at that.
What starts off as a pretty bland commercial for frozen snacks suddenly heats up as Kristen Stewart and Vanessa Bayer’s eyes lock forever. Another example of how funny absurd can be, it’s the perfect marriage between a Super Bowl ad and La Vie d’Adèle. Gets an extra point conversion for the french dialogue.
Chadwick Boseman’s untimely passing left Hollywood and his fans shocked with grief, but his death also shone an even brighter light upon the legacy of a man that continued to work passionately as he battled cancer.
Much like Black Panther he completed a movie star rite of passage by hosting SNL, a feat accomplished by bringing over his smile and Wakandan accent so King T’Challa could play a run of “Black Jeopardy”.
Honorable mentions: “Superhero Party”; “Nick The Lounge Singer Sings Star Wars Theme”; “James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub Party”; “Canteen Boy with Alec Baldwin”; “Chippendales Audition”; “The Roxbury Guys with Jim Carrey”; “Dysfunctional Family Dinner”; “Adam Grossman: Dinner at Benihana”; “Fourth Jonas”; “Carrey Family Reunion”; “Close Encounter”; “Black Jeopardy with Tom Hanks”; “Actress Round Table”; “World’s Most Evil Invention”; “Papyrus”; “Another Close Encounter”.
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