We couldn't keep a straight face either! For this list, we’re looking at instances where “SNL” hosts or cast members couldn’t keep it together during a sketch.
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00:00 We're going to the Dolce & Gabbana show. How fast can you have your bags back from there on?
00:04 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20
00:09 breaking character moments on Saturday Night Live.
00:11 Sometimes we get so caught up in loving our own family we forget about...
00:14 loving...
00:16 For this list, we're looking at instances where SNL hosts or cast members could not
00:21 keep it together during a sketch. However, we're excluding specials and
00:26 things that didn't make it into the final show. Which breaking moment always cracks you up?
00:30 Let us know in the comments.
00:32 Number 20. Girlfriends game night.
00:35 In 2018, Bill Hader hosted Saturday Night Live for the second time since leaving the show five
00:40 years earlier, and he left everyone, including his co-stars, in stitches. In this sketch,
00:46 Hader plays Horace, the elderly, wheelchair-bound husband to SNL regular Cecily Strong,
00:52 who's attending a game night with her girlfriends.
00:55 It's here! Let's go!
00:57 It's revealed that Horace has just popped to see Alice,
01:00 causing Strong to hop on his lap as the pill only lasts a couple of minutes.
01:04 Hader proceeds to use his vehicular prop to great comedic effect,
01:08 ultimately causing everyone involved to break character.
01:10 Hader later discussed the scene on Late Night with Seth Meyers,
01:22 and once again struggled to contain his laughter.
01:25 The brainchild of Bill Hader and John Mulaney,
01:37 Stefan was introduced in 2008 and quickly became a fan favorite.
01:41 New York's hottest club is pants!
01:44 The world said goodbye to the Weekend Update correspondent,
01:51 whose knowledge of New York City's most bizarre hotspots was both hilarious and unparalleled,
01:56 in 2013. But since then, Stefan has still found time to make a guest appearance or two.
02:01 In 2018, Stefan resurfaced, along with his lawyer Shy, played by Mulaney,
02:16 and wasted no time getting everyone to crack up,
02:19 including Hader and Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che.
02:23 Hader laughs throughout the entire sketch,
02:25 leading us to believe he was reading the script for the first time. How else do you explain it?
02:44 These two iconic characters have made numerous appearances over the years.
02:47 Played to perfection by Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig,
02:58 Garth and Kat are a songwriting team that just can't find time to rehearse their songs.
03:11 In fact, to get into character, Wiig and Armisen never rehearse their performances,
03:15 something Wiig called, quote, "freeing and fun".
03:18 Perhaps that's why both actors regularly burst into fits of laughter during sketches,
03:22 as neither knew what to expect from the other.
03:24 Watching Wiig try and keep up as Armisen just wings a performance is truly amazing.
03:29 It's no wonder they couldn't keep it together.
03:31 [LAUGHTER]
03:32 - Who knows?
03:34 [LAUGHTER]
03:37 A recurring sketch from the 80s era of SNL involved Billy Crystal
03:44 parodying Argentinian actor Fernando Lamas in a sketch called "Fernando's Hideaway".
03:49 - I made a hideaway today with one of the biggest names in baseball.
03:52 It's got 12 letters in it. I counted it myself.
03:55 Crystal would slap on a thick Spanish accent and interview celebrities,
03:59 often getting their names and other tidbits of personal information wrong throughout the interview.
04:03 One of the most famous sketches saw Crystal interviewing wrestlers/actors Hulk Hogan and Mr. T.
04:09 Despite their attempts to keep a straight face,
04:11 Hogan and Mr. T both break character near the end of the sketch,
04:14 after Crystal ad-libs a line about exercise equipment.
04:17 - I was at a Hollywood party where this wasn't all dirt, if you know what I'm saying, do you?
04:23 [LAUGHTER]
04:26 It would appear that everyone is susceptible to breaking
04:28 while in the presence of a gifted comedian like Billy Crystal.
04:31 - You know when you laugh, your little things, they go bop-de-bop-de-bop-de-bop.
04:35 Number 16, "Scared Straight".
04:38 This sketch from 2009 had no shortage of top-notch comedic talent.
04:41 - We caught these kids drinking beers behind Pathmark.
04:43 - No!
04:45 Tracy Morgan, Kenan Thompson, Jason Sudeikis, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg,
04:49 and Bobby Moynihan are all featured.
04:51 And when that many funny people are in a room together, things are bound to get a little silly.
04:55 [LAUGHTER]
04:56 - Easy, easy, easy.
04:59 - Stop!
05:00 The sketch saw Morgan and Thompson playing convicts,
05:03 attempting to scare a trio of kids who are arrested for underage drinking.
05:06 The only problem, they keep using the plots of popular movies to describe prison.
05:10 - All right.
05:10 [LAUGHTER]
05:17 - Boys learn your lesson?
05:18 [LAUGHTER]
05:23 Thompson and Hader are the worst offenders in this one,
05:25 but everyone cracks at one point or another.
05:28 You try making it through without letting a smile creep across your face,
05:31 'cause this here is real.
05:32 Number 15, "Kissing Family".
05:35 Featuring SNL legends Andy Samberg, Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Kate McKinnon,
05:42 Maya Rudolph, and Taron Killam, as well as Paul Rudd,
05:45 this sketch is a blueprint for how to make A-list comedic talent break character.
05:49 [LAUGHTER]
05:55 The kissing family is a recurring skit that involves an outsider being introduced
05:58 to an overly affectionate family.
06:00 In this instance, the outsider is played by Killam,
06:03 and he is justifiably shocked to learn that his boyfriend's family kisses each other on the lips,
06:08 among other things, with zero regard for anyone else's feelings.
06:12 - Matt's right.
06:13 Sometimes we get so caught up in loving our own family, we forget about...
06:16 [LAUGHTER]
06:17 - Loving...
06:18 [LAUGHTER]
06:20 Armisen cracks first, followed by Hader,
06:22 but there are fissures of laughter peppered throughout the entire sketch.
06:25 With this much talent in the room,
06:27 it's no wonder this sketch devolved into a full-on breakfest.
06:30 [LAUGHTER]
06:37 Number 14, "Family Feud Celebrity Edition".
06:40 NBC vs. CBS.
06:42 As longtime friends and collaborators,
06:44 it isn't exactly surprising to learn that Justin Timberlake does a mean Jimmy Fallon impression.
06:49 - So great, so great, celebrities playing games, nothing better, so fun!
06:52 Am I right, old man?
06:53 [LAUGHTER]
06:55 He got to bust it out during a 2013 appearance on SNL
06:58 during a game of "Celebrity Family Feud".
07:01 And guess who was also playing?
07:03 Jimmy Fallon.
07:03 [APPLAUSE]
07:04 - Jimmy!
07:05 Parson!
07:05 Are you kidding me?
07:06 That is how it's done, my man!
07:08 He's so great, am I right?
07:09 Fallon, who is infamous for his inability to keep it together during sketches,
07:13 was playing the Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons.
07:15 The two celebs went toe-to-toe right off the bat
07:18 and immediately had to turn away from the camera to hide their laughter.
07:21 - So many great answers.
07:22 [LAUGHTER]
07:23 So many.
07:24 [LAUGHTER]
07:25 They're so great.
07:25 [LAUGHTER]
07:26 So great, my man.
07:27 [LAUGHTER]
07:29 But Steve...
07:29 [LAUGHTER]
07:31 Later, Timberlake's impression was so accurate,
07:34 it caused Fallon to duck behind his podium,
07:36 struck by a serious case of the giggles.
07:39 So great, it's classic Fallon.
07:41 Number 13, Frankenstein's monster cracks up.
07:44 The late, great Phil Hartman was a fixture on Saturday Night Live between 1986 and 1994.
07:50 In that time, he portrayed a slew of iconic characters,
07:53 not the least of which was his hilarious impression of Frankenstein's monster.
07:57 [LAUGHTER]
07:58 - Tonto?
07:59 [LAUGHTER]
08:00 - Bread good, Kimo Sabe.
08:01 In this sketch, Frankenstein's monster, Tarzan, and Tonto
08:05 are being asked what they think about things like fire and bread.
08:08 This naturally leads to some hilarious responses from the three famously poor speakers.
08:12 [LAUGHTER]
08:14 - I'm a fire bat.
08:16 [LAUGHTER]
08:18 We actually have to applaud Hartman for staying in character as long as he did.
08:22 However, even the best break eventually.
08:24 - Well, that's all the time we have.
08:26 Join us next week when we'll be talking with the cavemen from Quest for Fire.
08:30 [LAUGHTER]
08:34 Thank you.
08:34 [SCREAM]
08:36 For Hartman, that moment came when he was asked how he felt about a recent nuclear arms treaty.
08:40 This stuff never gets old.
08:43 Number 12, Donnie's Party.
08:45 Introduced in 1999, the Boston teens made regular appearances
08:48 during the run of Jimmy Fallon and Rachel Dratch.
08:50 [LAUGHTER]
08:51 - I would be Gryffindor.
08:52 - You are Hufflepuff and you know it.
08:54 - You are.
08:55 [LAUGHTER]
08:58 Known for their thick Boston accents and love of the Red Sox,
09:00 as well as for constantly bickering and making up,
09:03 the characters regularly caused others to bust a gut.
09:05 - Bro.
09:06 [LAUGHTER]
09:09 Bro.
09:09 [LAUGHTER]
09:11 Bro.
09:11 One of the most infamous cases involved Boston boy Ben Affleck,
09:14 who simply could not contain his laughter while at a party with the Boston teens.
09:18 Watching him say "bro" over and over again while struggling to keep it together is priceless.
09:23 Naturally, Fallon couldn't keep a straight face either.
09:26 Number 11, Career Day.
09:28 Adam Driver helped SNL kick off their 44th season with a handful of hilarious performances
09:33 that all deserve their time in the spotlight.
09:35 However, this list is about actors breaking character.
09:39 So we'll focus on just one, Career Day.
09:42 - Look at your father, boy.
09:44 [LAUGHTER]
09:45 Look upon your father with pride.
09:47 - I see you, man.
09:48 In the sketch, Driver plays an elderly and ruthless oil baron
09:52 who visits his son's class for Career Day.
09:54 - Now what does an oil baron do?
09:56 [LAUGHTER]
09:57 - The answer?
09:58 - Crush your enemies!
10:00 [LAUGHTER]
10:01 - Drain their bones into dirt!
10:03 Pete Davidson plays the son, and boy is he ever put through the wringer.
10:07 Driver delivers a blistering performance,
10:09 causing Davidson to break character on multiple occasions,
10:12 including the first time he's addressed.
10:14 - I have licked you in two pickings!
10:17 [LAUGHTER]
10:19 I crushed you into the ground!
10:21 From there, it's all downhill for the young actor,
10:24 as Driver never once falters in his performance.
10:28 - Dad, come on!
10:29 Number 10, Close Encounter.
10:31 It was clear from the first minute of this sketch
10:33 that host Ryan Gosling was not going to make it through without breaking character.
10:37 - Uh, I came to and saw a beautiful being made of like a beautiful, calming light.
10:42 - Yeah, same here.
10:43 That being touched my head, I felt every emotion in its purest form.
10:48 After being abducted by aliens, Kate McKinnon,
10:51 Cecily Strong, and Gosling each recount their experience with the extraterrestrials.
10:55 - I started peeing, and one of the gray aliens slapped the wall
10:58 and pointed at the bowl.
11:01 So I got the hint, I kind of ducked, walked over, bowl peed in it.
11:04 [LAUGHTER]
11:05 - Yes, I see.
11:06 However, McKinnon's version differs wildly from the other two.
11:10 So much so, in fact, that Gosling was basically stifling a laugh for the entire sketch.
11:15 Strong, Bobby Moynihan, and Aidy Bryant all eventually broke,
11:18 and even McKinnon had to repress a laugh at one point.
11:21 Later in the episode, Gosling fell victim to a hilarious performance by Aidy Bryant,
11:25 whose portrayal of a boundary-less teenager caused him to once again break character.
11:29 - Wow, I guess everyone knows how dirty I am.
11:32 Do you like that, Mr. Dillham?
11:36 [LAUGHTER]
11:38 - Actually, no, I do not like that, okay?
11:40 [LAUGHTER]
11:41 That's disgusting.
11:43 Number 9, "Super Showcase."
11:45 Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph took a forgettable game show sketch
11:48 and elevated it to new heights with their hilarious fake European accents.
11:52 - Show Debra what was in her showcase.
11:54 - Bad news, Debra.
11:56 You didn't win "Hills and Hills" matching luggage by luggage guy.
11:58 - If it's not luggage guy luggage, it's just a bunch of luggage from some place.
12:02 The two SNL alumni play off each other beautifully,
12:06 though that means as soon as one breaks character, the other isn't far behind.
12:09 [LAUGHTER]
12:12 - If you'd love golf, you'd love the next prize you didn't win.
12:15 Things start to spiral out of control when the two women roll up in a golf cart.
12:19 While Wiig immediately catches a case of the giggles,
12:22 Rudolph manages to stay in character a little longer.
12:24 - You'd be a rough swing, I would think.
12:26 - Please, it's a girls' matching golf clubs by golf club guys.
12:30 Four!
12:32 [LAUGHTER]
12:36 Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Bill Hader,
12:39 who has to hide behind his hands to contain his laughter.
12:42 The whole thing culminates with a still laughing Wiig
12:44 crashing through the set in a golf cart.
12:46 Seriously, how do they come up with this stuff?
12:49 - It's always time for two other flip-flops.
12:51 [LAUGHTER]
12:55 Number eight, Lovers in the Hot Tub.
12:57 Surprise, surprise.
12:59 A sketch featuring Will Ferrell and Jimmy Fallon
13:02 ended in multiple people breaking character.
13:04 - Barbara, what brings you to the prestigious Welchley Arms?
13:07 - The usual, quiet strolls, family-style dining, archery.
13:13 This iconic bit saw Ferrell and Rachel Dratch playing overly affectionate lovers
13:17 soaking in a hot tub and trying to play matchmaker to Fallon and host Drew Barrymore.
13:21 - Dave, Dave, Dave, David.
13:28 [LAUGHTER]
13:30 Well, as you can probably glean from Ferrell's ridiculous costume,
13:33 it didn't take long before everybody was on the verge of a full-on meltdown.
13:37 - Barbara Hernandez is the top female archer in the Northeast Division.
13:43 - That's unbelievable.
13:46 [LAUGHTER]
13:47 Tack on the fact that Ferrell later admitted that the goal was to, quote,
13:50 "make Jimmy Fallon laugh,"
13:52 and you have the recipe for a sketch that's guaranteed to have multiple broken characters.
13:56 Need more proof that Ferrell is a character-breaking machine?
13:59 Check out his short shorts for the USA clip.
14:02 You are welcome.
14:03 - I guess what it all comes down to is that the angle of my dangle
14:09 is inversely proportional to the heat of my meat, right?
14:13 [LAUGHTER]
14:15 Number seven, Right to Extreme Stupidity.
14:18 In this iconic sketch, SNL legend Gilda Radner and host Candace Bergen
14:22 prove that breaking character is as easy as flubbing a single line of dialogue.
14:27 - You're not too bright, are you, Fern?
14:30 I mean, whatever your name was.
14:33 [LAUGHTER]
14:34 The slip-up occurs when Bergen accidentally refers to Radner as Fern,
14:38 which is actually the name of Bergen's character.
14:41 While Bergen attempts to rectify her mistake,
14:43 Radner uses her trademark wit to destroy her, quipping,
14:47 - We all can't be brainy like Fern here.
14:50 [LAUGHTER]
14:52 At this point, all pretense of finishing the sketch as planned has gone out the window,
14:56 as both women are dying of laughter.
14:58 - Extremely stupid people are discriminated against all the time.
15:03 And I should know, and so should Fern, 'cause we are.
15:06 [LAUGHTER]
15:08 It's moments like this that make SNL so much fun to watch.
15:11 Number six, Happiest Place on Earth.
15:14 Debbie Downer is one of the funniest characters in SNL's prestigious repertoire.
15:18 Brilliantly brought to life by Rachel Dratch,
15:20 Debbie can instantly transform any situation into a total bummer,
15:24 for the other characters, that is.
15:26 - Roy of Siegfried and Roy,
15:28 he was attacked by his own tiger and suffered devastating injuries.
15:32 [HORN BLOWING]
15:34 [LAUGHTER]
15:39 As far as the audience, cast members, and viewers at home are concerned,
15:42 she is a riot.
15:43 One of her most famous appearances occurred at Disney World,
15:46 where she somehow managed to ruin the happiest place on Earth with her depressing anecdotes.
15:51 While Fallon breaks first, shocker, Dratch is not far behind.
15:55 - I can't have children.
15:56 [LAUGHTER]
16:01 This inevitably caused the whole table to crack up.
16:03 Horatio Sanz cries, and Lindsay Lohan bangs the table in a fit of laughter.
16:07 All the while, Dratch can barely keep it together.
16:10 Number five, Corksoakers.
16:13 In this hilarious sketch from 2004,
16:15 host/musical guest Janet Jackson visits a winery
16:19 and learns how to soak corks from a group of Italian winemakers.
16:23 The scene is littered with double entendres meant to have viewers in stitches.
16:27 - As you can see, we are soaking all the corks in this room right now.
16:30 [LAUGHTER]
16:31 These three guys right here are some of the most talented corksoakers.
16:34 However, as the writers probably assumed when they penned this side-splittingly funny sketch,
16:39 it was the actors who were laughing harder than anyone.
16:41 - So how did you learn to soak corks?
16:45 [LAUGHTER]
16:47 Soak corks.
16:48 With giggles emanating from all corners of the set,
16:51 Jackson can barely get her lines out.
16:53 And honestly, we feel for her.
16:55 - So does your wife like soaking s--
16:57 [LAUGHTER]
17:00 Soaking corks?
17:01 - Well, she used to when we were dating.
17:03 Now, not so much.
17:04 However, the biggest surprise was that perpetual character-breaker Jimmy Fallon
17:09 stayed composed throughout the entire sketch.
17:11 Number four, "I live in a van down by the river."
17:15 Few comedians are as revered as the late, great Chris Farley.
17:19 He could make anyone break with his unique brand of physical humor, and often did.
17:23 - I am 35 years old, I am divorced, and I live in a van down by the river.
17:31 [LAUGHTER]
17:33 While he has a slew of iconic SNL characters,
17:36 you'd be hard-pressed to put any of them above Matt Foley, motivational speaker.
17:40 - Brian, from what I've heard,
17:43 you're using your paper not for writing, but for rolling doobies.
17:48 [LAUGHTER]
17:49 In the character's first Saturday Night Live appearance,
17:52 Farley managed to break host Christina Applegate and SNL regular David Spade
17:56 in seconds with his over-the-top performance,
17:58 which included hoisting Spade into the air and warning the teens about ending up like him.
18:03 He broke everyone else the moment he screamed,
18:06 - I'm sick and tired of living in a van down by the river!
18:10 [LAUGHTER]
18:11 Number 3. Jeffries.
18:12 In this 2001 sketch, host Sean Hayes joined Jimmy Fallon and Will Ferrell in their "Jeffries" sketch,
18:18 which sees the three men playing retail workers at a high-end clothing store.
18:22 - Yeah, look, we don't carry diesel. We work at Jeffries.
18:25 We read Italian Vogue. It's our deal.
18:27 The gag involves them being extremely rude and condescending to customers who they deem unstylish.
18:32 True to form, Fallon is laughing before the skit even begins.
18:36 - This is a genuine Looney Tunes jacket.
18:39 [LAUGHTER]
18:45 Hayes breaks shortly thereafter, and for the rest of the sketch,
18:49 the two men can barely contain their laughter for more than a few seconds.
18:52 Once Will Ferrell appears on a motorized wheelchair, this sketch is over and done with.
18:57 - We're going to the Dolce & Gabbana show. How fast can you have your bags packed from there on?
19:02 [LAUGHTER]
19:05 - I've got my Jack Spade bag packed already.
19:08 Oddly enough, this isn't the first time a clothing-based sketch involving Horatio Sanz
19:12 and Jimmy Fallon devolved into one giant character break session.
19:16 We give you "The Leatherman".
19:18 - I always treat the customers with...
19:19 [LAUGHTER]
19:23 - Makes no sense, really.
19:25 Number 2 - "More Cowbell"
19:27 Featuring vets like Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan, Chris Parnell and Horatio Sanz,
19:33 not to mention the indomitable Christopher Walken,
19:35 "More Cowbell" is the stuff of sketch comedy legend, and was so the second it began to air.
19:41 - Are you sure that was sounding okay?
19:42 - I'll be honest, fellas, it was sounding great, but...
19:46 I could have used a little more cowbell.
19:48 [LAUGHTER]
19:50 The cast plays Blue Oyster Cult,
19:52 while guest Walken portrays record producer Bruce Dickinson,
19:55 a man who has a fever for more cowbell.
19:58 Watching Ferrell gesticulate all over the room in a shirt that is way, way, way too small
20:03 is absolutely side-splitting.
20:04 - I'd be doing myself a disservice,
20:07 and every member of this band if I didn't perform the hell out of this!
20:11 Walken breaks, Kattan breaks, Sanz breaks, Fallon breaks, even Ferrell breaks.
20:16 In the pantheon of SNL's worst, or best, character breaks,
20:20 this one takes the cake, or as the case may be, the cowbell.
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20:37 Number 1 - Stefan on Halloween
20:42 You all knew Stefan would be back at number one!
20:45 In this all-time moment, fan-favorite Stefan stops by Weekend Update to advise partygoers
20:50 on where to find some not-so-family fun on Halloween.
20:54 - Located in an abandoned whitefish factory in little Israel.
20:57 Bill Hader breaks character numerous times,
21:01 something he'd replicate in an Autumn-themed appearance a couple of years later.
21:04 - Needless to say, this place has everything.
21:07 Skunks, K-Fobs, Cookie Crisp, Dan Cortez.
21:11 As one YouTube commenter points out,
21:16 "It makes you wonder whether Hader developed Stefan's signature hand-over-mouth quirk
21:20 as a way to hide his constant giggling."
21:21 - Well, they have a Jewish Dracula.
21:24 - Oh, what's his name?
21:26 - Sidney Applebaum.
21:27 Throughout the clip, Hader finds himself unable to speak, overcome by laughter.
21:35 And while Seth Meyers does his best to remain composed,
21:38 he is far from invincible when it comes to keeping a straight face.
21:41 You know you've come up with comedic gold when Hader is crying tears of laughter.
21:45 Enjoy, folks!
21:46 Did you enjoy this video?
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21:54 [outro music]