We'd spend Saturday night with these stars anytime. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the celebrities who’ve done such a good job hosting the legendary NBC sketch show… that we can’t believe that they haven’t joined the Five-Timers Club yet. Please note that we’ll only be looking at hosts who are still living, so all-timers like Richard Pryor won’t be included this time around.
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00:00You little freak. Yes, I'm the elephant man. No, no, not the elephant man. Okay, it's not,
00:07that's not sexy. That's like really sad. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our
00:14picks for the celebrities who've done such a good job hosting the legendary NBC sketch show
00:19that we can't believe they haven't joined the five timers club yet. Please note that we'll only be
00:24looking at hosts who are still living, so all timers like Richard Pryor won't be included this
00:29time around. Number 10 Sterling K. Brown. I just got to say you are such an inspiration. Okay. I
00:44mean, just think of how far you've come. Okay. Hey, you know, you are the funniest person on
00:50this show. One thing you might notice about the hosts who appear on this list is that they're
00:58usually reaching outside of their comfort zone and diving into the frightening waters of sketch
01:03comedy. That was no less true than when Oscar nominee Brown hosted. Having been best known to
01:08the public for his dramatic role in the tear jerking NBC series, This Is Us. Is it protected
01:14or unprotected? Unprotected. No way. Hey, look, can we just talk about why it burns when I pee?
01:23Because pee's hot. If you'd only seen his SNL gig, you might think that multiple Emmy winner
01:28Brown was a career comedian. In particular, look to a sketch in which a young woman's attempt to
01:34introduce her parents to her new boyfriend, played by Brown, that's quickly derailed by
01:39Brown's character's love of Shrek. Is that your favorite, Justin? No, Scott, I'm a liar.
01:46Yes, it is my favorite. It's also the best. That's just a fact.
01:50It's okay, Justin. It's not okay, it's annoying.
01:52Number nine, Liev Schreiber. This truly is a fulfillment of a lifelong dream of mine.
02:00Of course, in my dream, it happened 10 or 15 years ago. I guess neither here or there. I am
02:06truly thrilled to be here. The 2018 episode that Schreiber hosted unfortunately found its host
02:12upstaged by a left field controversy that had ensued the previous week. Cast member Pete Davidson
02:18poked fun at Republican congressman Dan Crenshaw, and in the wake of negative backlash,
02:24Crenshaw appeared on Schreiber's episode to give it back to Davidson. And that's a shame,
02:29because Schreiber's pivot from hard-edged drama to sketch comedy was admirable in its execution.
02:38Sure, I'll just reach up and grab the tank, jackknife my legs up and around the bowl and
02:42cross my ankles firmly around the base. Once I'm up there, I'll just poop normally. You better.
02:46I promise. The Tony winner's stern paternal energy proved to be a perfect match for SNL's
02:52silliness, sending up his own public image to great effect. Maybe it's a sign that some TV
02:58antiheroes just need to lighten up. Arthur guided me across the street to a closed down theater.
03:05I got the sense it was something of a homecoming for him.
03:09What? Number eight, Natasha Lyonne.
03:12So, things are going great, and then knock knock, who's there?
03:16Multiple arrests and drug addiction.
03:18Leave it to Natasha Lyonne to mine what was arguably the darkest period of her life
03:23for one of the funniest, most successful SNL monologues in recent memory.
03:28Flanked by Maya Rudolph and ex-romantic partner Fred Armisen,
03:32Lyonne hilariously made light of her tumultuous, well-publicized personal life.
03:38Life was rough, but just like when Fabio was on that roller coaster
03:43and the bird flew into his face. Hey, do we have a photo of that?
03:47The rest of the show wasn't half bad either, with Lyonne's typically raunchy,
03:52irreverent persona at the forefront of the sketches she appeared in.
03:56Given her standing relationship with the show and various members of its cast and crew,
04:00it's not unfathomable that Lyonne could grace Studio 8H again in the near future.
04:06Your hair grows nothing!
04:17Yeah, well, it didn't even move!
04:19Number 7. Sofia Vergara
04:22I came here all the way from a small town in Colombia called Barranquilla.
04:26Barranquilla is a Spanish word that means Cleveland.
04:30The Colombian modern family star was already well-known for her star-making,
04:34out-sized performance on the long-running ABC sitcom.
04:38Although she hasn't hosted SNL since this April 2012 guest spot,
04:42NBC audiences are certainly ready for more Vergara.
04:45That is, if this episode is anything to go off of.
04:48Gilly!
04:52What?
04:53Gilly!
04:55Yeah?
04:57Did you throw America's favorite dessert at my head?
05:01The five-time Emmy nominee looked right at home on the SNL stage,
05:05with her masterful monologue demonstrating Vergara's inherently powerful grip on the
05:09art of comedy in English and Spanish.
05:12Fingers crossed that the right gig comes around so that
05:15Vergara can once again host the venerated sketch show.
05:19Sofia, you know Penelope, right?
05:20Yes, of course, Penelope! I love you! I'm a big fan, big fan!
05:24You're a fan of me, Penelope? I'm a fan of you, Sofia! Hello!
05:27Number 6. Peter Dinklage
05:30George was actually nice enough to write this monologue for me,
05:33even though he's still busy trying to finish his next book, Throne's Book.
05:36Yeah, I mean, it's taken a while, but the fans have been very cool about it.
05:41Lazy!
05:41We just need to know, is there a valid reason that we haven't seen a sequel to Dinklage's
05:46legendary space pants sketch yet? If not, we'd respectfully request that
05:50Lorne Michaels and co. find a way to make it happen.
05:53You may be surprised to learn that the Game of Thrones star, and multiple Emmy winner,
05:58has the comedic chops, given his fearsome portrayal of Tyrion Lannister.
06:03Boys and girls, I think you'll find that my pants will blow your mind!
06:09Look at my pants with the eyes in your face!
06:11Believe it or not, Dinklage was mostly known for starring in comedies prior to appearing
06:16on the HBO mega-hit show. A veteran performer with considerable range,
06:21Dinklage threw himself into the sketch comedy show without abandon,
06:24proving himself to have the makings of a repeat host.
06:28When I say space, you say pants! Space!
06:32What?
06:33Number 5. Fred Armisen
06:35Is this a dream? Is this a dream? Is this a dream?
06:40Asked back to host the 41st SNL season finale in 2016,
06:45Armisen got a chance to own the spotlight. Having often been relegated to supporting
06:50roles during his tenure as an SNL cast member, it's easy to forget that the
06:54former punk rock drummer was probably one of the most capable and versatile
06:58players that the show had ever seen. Listen to her! She has ancient wisdom!
07:03It's true!
07:06Okay class, I'm sorry. They were just about to do it, but we have to stop here.
07:11The kids have their lunch break. Jordan, don't you want to go eat?
07:14No, no, I'm finally engaged. What's learning?
07:16Armisen's hosting appearance was a testament to this. Just watch his gut-bustingly ridiculous
07:22monologue, a parody of poorly executed off-off-off-Broadway one-man shows.
07:28I'm asking you, is this a dream?
07:34You're ruining it. Sorry.
07:35With all of this in mind, we're surprised that Armisen, who's since made cameos on
07:40SNL here and there, hasn't found the time to host again.
07:44Number 4. Pedro Pascal
07:46Early in my career, I played small parts in every crime show. I even played two different
07:51characters on Law & Order. Tito Cabasa, who looked like this.
07:55Admittedly, Pascal's hosting gig occurred fairly recently, and it seems overwhelmingly likely that
08:01the Chilean breakout star will be asked back to host in the near future. It feels inevitable,
08:07given Pascal's episode's viral explosion that capitalized on the actor's internet sweetheart
08:13status.
08:14Oh my god, where am I? Why am I in a bed? I don't get anything that's going on right now.
08:23To his credit, Pascal met the hype and then some, proving himself to be not only willing and able,
08:30but a good sport who was game for anything. That anything included an exasperated teacher
08:35who begs his students to stop making fan cams of him. And most virally of all,
08:41the overprotective mother of Marcelo Hernandez's Luis,
08:45who blatantly disapproves of her son's new girlfriend.
08:48Mama!
08:49The man of my life!
08:51By the old mirror, I see no more my college boy. I missed you so much!
08:57You don't talk enough, bad boy! I kill you, I put you in jail!
09:02Number 3. Seth MacFarlane
09:04You know, I have loved this show since I was a kid, and I promised myself
09:07there was one thing I would do if I ever got to host. So if you'll just indulge me for a moment,
09:13please go out with me, Farrah Fawcett.
09:14The Family Guy and American Dad creator is clearly no stranger to empires of American comedy.
09:20MacFarlane's many talents were vibrantly on display during his September 2012 hosting appearance,
09:26which saw him not only reprise his Family Guy voice roles,
09:29but embody a cavalcade of new characters.
09:32Maybe I am from Quebec, so I sound like these, no?
09:36Okay, that's really fun. The point is, try to find a voice that you connect with.
09:42All right, so why don't you introduce yourselves again, and let's meet your puppets.
09:45This is in addition to MacFarlane's singing abilities,
09:48mostly unknown to the general public before he hosted SNL.
09:52Look out specifically for MacFarlane's impression of Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte.
09:57While it may no longer be the timeliest reference, you don't have to know anything
10:01about the athlete or the sport itself to crack up at MacFarlane's sweetly dopey impression.
10:07I'm really excited about that show, Goon.
10:10Number two, Donald Glover.
10:21Multi-hyphenate Glover may never have hosted SNL before,
10:25or since, but his ties to NBC run deeper than you might expect.
10:30That is to say, before blowing up as a cast member of the network's beloved community,
10:35Glover had been hired by Tina Fey as both an actor and writer for 30 Rock.
10:40All your nice jewelry? I'll put it right up my ass.
10:47Because you gotta learn about loyalty, baby girl.
10:49With this in mind, it probably goes without saying that Glover's keen knack for absurdist humor
10:54and swaggering stage presence made for a deeply entertaining SNL episode,
11:00convincing viewers that if he hadn't hit it so big with his own music,
11:04comedy, and acting, he'd likely have fit right in on the SNL main stage.
11:09You little freak.
11:11Yes, I'm the elephant man.
11:13No, no, not the elephant man. Okay, it's not, that's not sexy. That's like really sad.
11:19Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:23Quinta Brunson.
11:24I wanted to be on SNL back in the day, but the audition process seemed long,
11:29so instead I just created my own TV show,
11:33made sure it became really popular, won a bunch of Emmys, and then got asked to host.
11:36John C. Reilly.
11:38Let's walk it out a little bit. Let's walk with me.
11:42Let's just move a little. Let me get to know your muscles.
11:46All right, I like what I'm feeling.
11:48Emma Thompson.
11:50Back and forth.
11:51Six to twelve.
11:53Six twelve.
11:56May I see that?
11:58Don't you dare put that smoothie in your mouth, you slag.
12:01Patrick Stewart.
12:02What about this one?
12:06What do you think?
12:08Looks like a woman going to the bathroom.
12:11Yeah, it's very sexy.
12:13Kerry Washington.
12:15Tell me next question.
12:17Dang, no more questions.
12:18Look in the entire bucket, Tommy.
12:20I love Tashi. Respect my ability to assess a bucket.
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12:40Number 1. Adam Sandler.
12:42I was fired, not rehired. Well, it made me sad and blue.
12:50I told my boy Chris Farley I got fired and he said,
12:55Sandman, they fired my ass too.
12:59Former SNL cast members burying the hatchet can make for an all time great SNL episode.
13:06Sandler has claimed that he and Chris Farley were fired simultaneously in 1995.
13:12And while he had regularly collaborated with his cast mates,
13:15he'd had nothing to do with the show since his firing.
13:18So here at Romano Tours, we always remind our customers,
13:22if you're sad now, you might still feel sad there, okay? You understand? That makes sense?
13:30Sandler seems to have had a change of heart in 2019,
13:33hosting the show for the first time alongside musical guest Shawn Mendes.
13:38To the surprise of precisely no one, the Sandman owned Studio 8H,
13:43debuting a song about his unceremonious firing and playing good sport in a sketch
13:48that lovingly poked fun at his trademark mannerisms. Here's hoping he hosts again soon.
13:54I promise you Bobby Boucher is not based on you.
13:57I know that. I was talking about the Big Daddy movies.
14:03Well, not that either. I can promise you.
14:05Who's your favorite one-off SNL host? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
14:10But it truly is an honor to be hosting SNL, you know, instead of just auditioning for it,
14:14which I did twice. That's not a joke. I'm just still pissed.
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