Adam Driver to Host ‘SNL’ Season 44 Premiere, Kanye West to Be Musical Guest
Sketch comedy show returns on Sept. 29
Tim Baysinger | September 17, 2018 @ 12:37 PM
Last Updated: September 17, 2018 @ 12:59 PM
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Adam Driver will host the 44th season premiere of “Saturday Night Live,” NBC announced Monday.
This will be Driver’s second time hosting the sketch comedy show, which returns for its 44th season on Sept. 29. The musical guest will be Kanye West, who will be making his seventh appearance.
Driver, known to “Star Wars” fans as the villainous Kylo Ren, most recently starred in Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman.” West released his latest album, “Ye,” in June, earning his eighth consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart.
Mikey Day, Melissa Villaseñor and Alex Moffat will be promoted to repertory players this season, a person with knowledge of the casting told TheWrap Monday. Additionally, Chris Redd and Heidi Gardner will return to “SNL” as featured players for Season 44. In August, it was announced that Luke Null, a featured player in Season 43, won’t return to the show for its upcoming season.
The rest of the cast includes Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant, Michael Che, Pete Davidson, Leslie Jones, Colin Jost, Kate McKinnon, Kyle Mooney, Cecily Strong and Kenan Thompson. NBC has yet to announce any new cast members for this season.
Jost and Che, who co-anchor “SNL’s” Weekend Update segment, will host the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards Monday night on NBC.
7 John McCain Cameos in Movies and TV, From 'Wedding Crashers' to 'SNL' to 'Parks and Rec' (Videos)
"Saturday Night Live" (2002)
In 2002, Sen. John McCain became one of the rare politicians to host the show (with musical guest the White Stripes). Though he leaned heavily on Fred Armisen in his opening monologue, McCain gamely played everyone from Attorney General John Ashcroft to Irish American author Frank McCourt in sketches.
"Saturday Night Live" (2002)
In this hilarious parody of a Lifetime movie, McCain stars as the husband of a successful CEO (Amy Poehler) who invades his wife's personal space in a way that is creepily stalkerish.
"Wedding Crashers" (2005)
McCain and Democratic strategist James Carville pop up early in this comedy to congratulate the fictional Treasury Secretary (Christopher Walken) and his wife (Jane Seymour) on the nuptials of their daughter.
"24" (2006)
McCain had a literal walk-on role in the fifth season ofthe Fox counterterrorism thriller as an unnamed CTU staffer who hands over a folder with no doubt top-secret information.
"Saturday Night Live" (May 2008)
"Jamming gay-dar is not a federal responsibility," John McCain says in a jokey campaign message on the May season finale after he sewed up the GOP nomination for president. "I have the courage, the wisdom, the experience and most importantly, the oldness it takes," he quipped.
"Saturday Night Live" (November 2018)
Just days before he lost the presidential election to Barack Obama, McCain shows up to appear with Tina Fey as his VP nominee Sarah Palin in a sketch in which they shill campaign merchandise on QVC.
"Parks and Recreation" (2012)
McCain reteams with Poehler in the first of two cameos on her NBC sitcom. Her Indiana councilwoman Leslie Knope blows him off in a coat closet in Washington, D.C. -- shortly after flubbing a meeting with two of her political idols, Senators Barbara Boxer and Olympia Snowe.
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The Republican maverick was almost a Hollywood regular
"Saturday Night Live" (2002)
In 2002, Sen. John McCain became one of the rare politicians to host the show (with musical guest the White Stripes). Though he leaned heavily on Fred Armisen in his opening monologue, McCain gamely played everyone from Attorney General John Ashcroft to Irish American author Frank McCourt in sketches.
