Jean Smart to Make ‘SNL’ Hosting Debut with Season 50 Premiere
Jean Smart plays a late-night talk show host on HBO’s “Hacks,” and now the Emmy winner will get her turn hosting the biggest late-night sketch comedy show of all-time: “Saturday Night Live.”
Smart will kick off Season 50 of the iconic series on September 28 — it’s her first time as host. Her musical guest Jelly Roll is also making his “SNL” debut. Smart just won her third Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on “Hacks,” which was awarded best comedy. Smart now has six overall Emmy Awards across her career.
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“SNL” will mark its actual 50th anniversary with a celebratory weekend culminating in a live primetime special on Sunday, February 16. We now know the first five hosts of the season.
After Smart, stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze makes a swift return after a great episode last season. Coldplay, regulars to the program, is his musical guest.
Grammy winner and “Wicked” star Ariana Grande will host the October 12 show, when Stevie Nicks makes just her second appearance as “SNL” musical guest — it’s been almost 40 years since her first appearance in 1983.
The following week, the fourth new “SNL” in a row, will mark Michael Keaton’s fourth time hosting; Billie Eilish is his musical guest.
After two weeks off, Chappell Roan will make her musical-guest debut on November 2 when “SNL” writing-staff alum John Mulaney hosts the show for a sixth time.
“Saturday Night Live” airs live coast-to-coast (11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT) and streams live on Peacock. “SNL” is produced in association with Broadway Video; Lorne Michaels is creator and executive producer.
The history of “SNL” was recently fictionalized with biopic “Saturday Night,” starring Gabriel LaBelle as creator Michaels. Jason Reitman directs the ensemble period piece, which debuted at TIFF. The feature takes place over the course of one evening on October 11, 1975, leading to the first-ever live taping of the show.
Rachel Sennott, Cooper Hoffman, Dylan O’Brien, Cory Michael Smith, Lamorne Morris, Matt Wood, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, Nicolas Braun, J.K. Simmons, Kim Matula, Andrew Barth Feldman, Emily Fairn, Tommy Dewey, Kaia Gerber, and Jon Batiste star.
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