For nearly 50 years,Saturday Night Livehas been the destination for guest hosts from all walks of life to showcase theircomedicabilities. During their week, the guest host won’t be the only stranger on stage, as the hottestmusical actsof the day perform to the intimate studio audience. Together, the two artists create a wholly unique show that becomes even more special when, on rare occasions,the host and musical guest forSaturday Night Liveare the same person.
The task of hosting the full show without breaks is daunting, which explains why only a handful of hosts have attempted the feat. Now thatTimothee Chalamethas joined thegroup ofSaturday Night Livemultitaskers, we are taking a look at the best performers who used all their talents to entertain live from New York.
Saturday Night Live
10Willie Nelson
Season 12, Episode 12
The “On the Road Again” singer,Willie Nelson, dropped in to studio 8H to work as both the host and musical guest back in February 1987. The episode would see Nelson star in sketches such as being the manager of a redneck tanning parlor, sit in as a guest on the recurring Church Chat starringDana Carvey, and sing a duet with cast memberVictoria Jackson.
Although music was Nelson’s trade, he wasno stranger to acting,with small roles intelevision shows likeMiami Viceby the time he appeared onSaturday Night Live. Nelson looked a little stiff at moments, but his laid-back demeanor was an asset toa show that can rattle a performer’s nerves with the pressure of a live broadcast.In moments such as his duet with Jackson, where they sing the silly and sweet “The Boyfriend Song,” Nelson is in his environment and enjoying the show as much as the audience.
Season 49, Episode 2
Rapper and recording artistBad Bunnytook a break from recording platinum albums to try his hand at comedy for the 49th season of SNL.Pedro Pascal stopped byto help Bad Bunny with his monologue and appear in a later sketch, but the assist wasn’t needed. Based on the uproarious applause anytime he appeared,the studio audience loved Bad Bunny so much that it’s amazing they didn’t rush the stage.
TheBullet Trainactor had a big night that saw him be everything from a king to a soap actor to a nun, never missing a beat. Bad Bunny’s approach was to take on each sketch with the type of energy and big performance needed for the show, giving the cast something to play with at all times. For all the good work done, if the only sketch that managed to be broadcast from the night was his turn asShrek, the episode would still be worth mentioning.
8Britney Spears
Season 25, Episode 19 and Season 27, Episode 12
Pop idolBritney Spearstook the world by storm after her debut single “Baby Hit Me One More Time,” so it was inevitable for her to appear at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Spears’ acting resume was primarily a handful of episodes onThe New Mickey Mouse Club, so live television would have been intimidating if not for the fact she was already a paparazzi favorite before she hit the legal drinking age. Spears was the host and musical guest twice, once in season 25 and then again in season 27.
Spears had a particularly good comedic chemistry with cast memberTracy Morgan, who hilariously serenades her in the sewers in her first hosting assignment. What Spears lacked in formal training, she made up for by having the natural instincts of a live performer, and she held her own with the likes ofWill FerrellandCheri Oteri. Possibly, her time atSaturday Night Livegave her the confidence to pursue more acting work because, by the time she came back for her second visit of double duty, she was there to helppromote her new movie,Crossroads.
7Jennifer Lopez
Season 26, Episode 11 and Season 35, Episode 15
Working as both a comedic host and a musical guest is ideal forJennifer Lopez,as she’s had her feet in acting and music from the start.TheSelenaactress has appeared in a double-duty role twice, once in February 2001 and then again almost ten years later in February 2010. Her first appearance was soon after the release of her romantic comedy,The Wedding Planner,and would have Lopez address the rumors of her diva behavior along with taking part in a Fly Girls reunion from her days on the sketch comedy series,In Living Color.
By her first appearance as host, Lopez had already starred in a handful of movies, such asAnacondaandOut of Sight, and her song “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” was at the top of the charts. The format ofSaturday Night Livecan throw off the most seasoned actor not accustomed to reading cue cards, butthe talented Lopez fits in perfectly with each ensemble.Lopez most recently returned as a musical guest for season 49, but she’s always welcome to host for a reliably good episode.
6Megan Thee Stallion
Season 48, Episode 3
The platinum-selling artistMegan Thee Stallioncommanded the stage when she took on the role of host and musical guest in the 48th season ofSaturday Night Live.The “Hot Girl Summer” rapper would star in sketches such as a nurse in “Hot Girl Hospital” and a friend who was abandoned in the pre-recorded musical piece “We Got Brought.” The episode wasn’t afraid to get weird, as was seen when a fake deer tried to stabKenan Thompsonin one of the more random entries of the night.
According to NBC, the rapper starred in some ofthe most viewed sketches of season 48, with her “Classroom” sketch watched over five million times. Megan Thee Stallion looked comfortable on stage and made the most of her time in each sketch. The same year as her appearance on Saturday Night Live, the rapper would also guest star onMarvel’sShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and the following year have a featured part in the unhinged musical comedyDicks: The Musical.
5Donald Glover
Season 43, Episode 19
Pulling double duty seemed like a no-brainer for actor and musicianDonald Glover, who had experience in comedy with shows likeCommunityand a successful music career under the name ofChildish Gambino. His opening monologue was a walk down memory lane as Glover recounted hisfailed audition in 2007to joinSaturday Night Liveas a cast member.
Solo: A Star Wars Storywas set to release the following week, so Glover appeared in a sketch as his on-screen character, Lando Calrissian. Another stand-out sketch was his turn as an 80s-era musician named Raz P. Berry, who plots a bizarre form of revenge in the face of a misunderstanding. The show had many funny moments, but Childish Gambino’s two musical performances were the exciting debuts of “Saturday” and “This is America,” with the latter also having the extended music video drop during the airing of the episode.
4Ariana Grande
Season 41, Episode 15
Ariana Grandeis most well known for her music career, but the pop star got her start in the teen Nickelodeon comediesVictoriousandSam and Cat.The comedy training gave Grande both an advantage in hosting the show and material for her opening monologue.Another sketch set at The Kid’s Choice Awards touches on her history, but the joke goes in a different direction regarding the hellish torture of filling dead air.
Grande is a natural performer, but her night of hosting and being the musical guest provided a surprising revelation about her skills at imitation. A celebrity family feud sketch sees her drop aJennifer Lawrenceimpression that hits effectively before later starring in a sketch that allows Grande to show off multiple styles of singing in quick succession. If there’s a screw-up to be remembered in the night, it’s not even Grande’s fault. That would beLarry David, who fumbles introducing Grande for her first musical performance.
3Taylor Swift
Season 35, Episode 5
Taylor Swiftvisited Saturday Night Live on multiple occasions as a musical guest, but she flexed her acting muscles when she also stepped in as host in November 2009. Her opening monologue was fittingly a song that acknowledged everything from her dating life to her recent VMA encounter withKanye West.A pretaped segment was a parody of the bafflingly popularTwilightseries called “Firelight,” where the sexy vampires that go to high school are swapped for equally sexy Frankenstein’s monsters.
For the musical portion of the night, Swift performed her songs “You Belong With Me” and “Untouchable.” Although Swift only hosted and performed as the musical guest on the same night once, she has madevarious returns to sketchesover the years. Considering the ever-growing size of her fanbase, maybe she’s set for a return to hosting duties sometime in the future.
2Garth Brooks
Season 23, Episode 14 and Season 25, Episode 5
Country music megastarGarth Brookshad limited acting experience, but that didn’t stop him from becoming one of the best and most surprising hostsSaturday Night Livehad in the 90s. Brooks’ first run as host was so successful he would fill both roles one more time, but this time, the musical guest was his alter ego,Chris Gaines.Between the two episodes, Brooks praises the lifestyle of a “real” cowboy, tries to sell his soul to the devil for a hit song, and is romanced by the intoxicating allure of Mango (Chris Kattan).
When Brooks walked out on theSaturday Night Livestage for the first time, viewers couldn’t have predicted how well he’d take to the format.He looks more like a cast member than a host, hitting his lines with comedic timing that can’t be taught.It won’t be found on Peacock, but fans who can find the sketch “Old French Whore,” from his first episode, will see a side of the country-western star they didn’t know was possible.
1Justin Timberlake
Season 29, Episode 2, Season 32, Episode 9 and Season 38, Episode 16
There are certain guest hosts likeTom HanksandChristopher Walkenthat assimilate toSaturday Night Livewith such ease they become known for their episodes, andJustin Timberlakewould easily qualify for that group. With memorable performances in movies likeThe Social NetworkandAlpha Dog, Timberlake has shown himself to be as strong of an actor as he is a musician. While Timberlake has appeared onSaturday Night Livenumerous times, he has served as both host and musical guest three times.
Timberlake’s frequent visits have allowed him to build up recurring characters audiences look forward to, like his quietRobin Gibbnext toJimmy Fallonon TheBarry GibbTalk Show. His first time doing dual honors went smoothly enough, but it’s Timberlake’s second appearance when the superstar goes viral alongsideAndy Sambergfor the song “Dick In a Box.” He’s basically an unofficial cast member of the show, who has so far beennominated for an astounding eight Emmysfor his work onSaturday Night Live, and winning four.
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