Steve Carell is a serious actor now. Have you seen “Beautiful Boy”? He might get an Oscar he’s so serious. So serious, in fact, that the “Saturday Night Live” cast has some reservations about letting him take over hosting this weekend.
“You’re kind of a serious actor now, are you ready to do comedy again?” Aidy Bryant asks Carell in a new promo. No, no, “The Office” alum has got this. “I wouldn’t worry, because an actor prepares, and I am an actor,” he says.
Carell then hauls himself up in his dressing room to get back into the comedic mindset. He does this by reciting lines from “Taxi Driver” and “Midnight Cowboy,” diving into a copy of “Re-Learning Comedy for Dramatic Actors,” and tearing up pages of notes.
Finally, his “instrument” is ready — meaning he’s prepared to take on Bryant and Chris Redd’s brilliant new sketch idea: Dr. Farts, a physician who can’t stop burping. Yeah, Steve’s got this, as he declares “it’s good to be back!”
Watch the video above.
Steve Carell will make his return to “Saturday Night Live” in an episode featuring musical guest Ella Mai, this Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
'SNL' 5-Timers Club: Most Frequent Hosts, From Alec Baldwin to Will Ferrell (Photos)
In the world of sketch comedy, there is no fraternity more prestigious than the "Saturday Night Live Five-Timers Club." Those who have proven their worthiness by hosting "SNL" five times are invited into an elite circle, where they don luxurious satin robes, smoke expensive cigars and, for their entertainment, watch current cast members fight to the death.
Not counting his many guest appearances to play guys like Donald Trump, Baldwin has hosted 16 times, passing Steve Martin's record in 2011. Martin was there that night to demand a surprise drug test.
The esteemed president of the Five-Timers Club was also the fastest to get to that milestone, hosting his fifth less than two years after hosting his first. In total, Martin has hosted fifteen times, most recently in 2009.
Goodman ranks third on the all-time "SNL" hosting list with 13 episodes, behind only Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.
NBC
Buck Henry - 10
From 1976 to 1980, it was tradition for the "Heaven Can Wait" director to host the "SNL" season finale. In total, Henry hosted 10 episodes, including a Mardi Gras special.
Hanks' fifth go-around as host in 1990 was what spawned the Five-Timers Club sketch. But now his most famous contribution to the series is definitely David S. Pumpkins.
The original anchor of "Weekend Update" hosted "SNL" eight times after being the first original cast member to leave in the middle of the show's second season.
Though we haven't seen her in a Five-Timers' robe, her portrait is in the club's luxurious quarters. She holds the record for youngest host ever, having appeared on the show at age 7 following the release of "E.T." in 1982.
Gould hosted the show five times in the '70s, but his sixth appearance was his last after being blindsided by the sudden departure of Lorne Michaels from the show in 1980.
Arguably the most famous "SNL" cast member among millennials, Tina Fey joined the Club in 2015 after a hosting career that included (and still includes) her famous Sarah Palin impression.
NBC
Scarlett Johansson - 6
The actress made her fifth appearance in 2016, and kicked off her monologue by putting on a Five-Timers jacket handed to her by Kenan Thompson. (She hosted again with then-fiancé Colin Jost in December 2019.)
The pop star's fifth appearance in 2013 saw "SNL" bring back the "Five-Timers" sketch, as Timberlake's induction was celebrated with a brawl between cast members Bobby Moynihan and Taran Killam.
NBC
Melissa McCarthy - 5
After a season of guest appearances as Donald Trump's White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, McCarthy grabbed her Five-Timers jacket in Season 42.
NBC
The Rock - 5
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hosted the finale of the 42nd season of "SNL"
Jonah Hill - 5
Hill's five appearances as host spanned a decade, with the first coming in 2008 and the fifth on Nov. 3, 2018.
Will Ferrell - 5
One of the most successful "SNL" alums of the '90s, Ferrell joined the club on Nov. 23, 2019. Among his most famous "SNL" bits were his George W. Bush impression and his recurring role as Alex Trebek on "Celebrity Jeopardy."
Paul Simon - 4
Technically, Simon only hosted four times, but he's been included in "Five-Timers Club" sketches since he was the musical guest on a fifth show. He also owns arguably the most emotional moment in the history of "SNL": his performance of "The Boxer" in the cold open of the first post-9/11 episode.
Getty
1 of 22
TheWrap looks back at those who’ve joined the most elite club in sketch comedy
In the world of sketch comedy, there is no fraternity more prestigious than the "Saturday Night Live Five-Timers Club." Those who have proven their worthiness by hosting "SNL" five times are invited into an elite circle, where they don luxurious satin robes, smoke expensive cigars and, for their entertainment, watch current cast members fight to the death.
NBC
NBC
