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The Saturday Night movie brings some legendary Saturday Night Live cast members to the big screen, but only a few of the film's stars have actually been on the show. Directed by Jason Reitman, the film explores the lead-up to the first episode of Lorne Michael's comedy show. Saturday Night's cast sees rising stars play original SNL cast members Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris, and Jane Curtis. In doing so, actors like Dylan O'Brien, Ella Hunt, Cory Michael Smith, and Matt Wood put their spins on the comedians.
The timing of Saturday Night's release coincides with the show's 50th anniversary. Over those five decades, there has been no shortage of notable actors who have appeared on SNL in some capacity, whether as a cast member, a host, or a cameo. That created an opportunity for some significant overlap when it came to the movie's cast and using people who have been on the actual show. Despite the reverence Saturday Night has for the actual TV series, the crossover of actors to be on the show and in the movie is quite small.
Willem Dafoe & J.K. Simmons Hosted SNL Before Appearing In Saturday Night
They Also Made Cameos Before Becoming A Host
Willem Dafoe and J.K. Simmons are the only Saturday Night cast members who have had the honor of hosting SNL. Dafoe plays NBC executive David Tebet in the film, while Simmons plays "Mr. Television" Milton Berle. Both actors have a history with SNL as they've each made two appearances; one as a cameo and once as the official host.
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J.K. Simmons' SNL history goes back to 1999. He had a cameo in the season 25 premiere episode as part of the pre-recorded "Oz" sketch. It wasn't until 16 years later that Simmons returned to SNL to be a host. He hosted the thirteenth episode of season 40 amid the recognition he was receiving for his performance in Whiplash, which eventually earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Nine years later, he delivers a scene-stealing performance as Milton Bertle in Saturday Night.
As for Willem Dafoe, his time on SNL is much more recent. He technically made his debut on the eleventh episode of season 47, as he had a small cameo the week before he was the host in 2022. Dafoe's appearance came on the heels of his return as Green Goblin for Spider-Man: No Way Home. He was officially cast as David Tebet in Saturday Night roughly two years later.
Nicholas Braun Had A Cameo In SNL Before Saturday Night
The Succession Star Had A Surprising Cameo
Nicholas Braun has not hosted SNL before like Dafoe and Simmons, but he did have an unexpected cameo on the show in 2021. The Succession star appeared on the fourth episode of season 47 as part of the recurring What's Up With That sketch. This iteration of Kenan Thompson's talk show spoof had Jason Sudeikis appear, while Braun was one of the surprise cameos alongside Oscar Isaac and Emily Ratajkowski. The sketch jokes that Braun is Lindsey Buckingham in a cousin Greg costume.
This marks the only appearance Nicholas Bruan has had on SNL, although he's now responsible for playing two roles in Saturday Night. He plays Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson in the film, working as a bit of a meta example of how actors on SNL plays multiple roles across different sketches. Perhaps he'll get the chance to officially host SNL at a different point.
Why The Saturday Night Movie Didn't Use More Actors From SNL
The Casting Decisions Were Purposeful
Director Jason Reitman has not explicitly stated why more SNL veterans were not part of Saturday Night's cast, even if it was just for a cameo. Having some previous cast members or more hosts appear could have been a great chance for the movie to include additional winks and nods to the show's real-life legacy. However, it was likely decided that going down this route would be the wrong decision for a few different reasons.
One hurdle that Saturday Night would have needed to get through was finding the right roles for current or past SNL members to play. Most of the show's current players are too old to play the necessary roles. As fun as it could have been to have great modern cast members like Bill Hader, Kate McKinnon, Andy Samberg, Cecily Strong, and others appear in the film, there is still the issue of them playing appropriate roles.
There is also the chance that Saturday Night did not want to veer too closely to seemingly like a giant SNL sketch by using familiar cast members and hosts. Simmons, Dafoe, and Braun's experiences on the real show are rather limited, so they still work within the actual film. However, audiences may have experienced Saturday Night in a completely different way if Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Chris Parnell, Aidy Bryant, Fred Armisen, Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, and so on appeared. It was better to go with new, fresh faces instead.
Director Jason Reitman
Release Date October 11, 2024
Writers Gil Kenan , Jason Reitman
Runtime 109 Minutes
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English (US) ·