- 5 hours ago
Pulling double duty on "SNL" is no small feat, but these stars managed to host while also rocking the stage as musical guests—all in the same night! WatchMojo dives into some of the most memorable moments when top celebrities like Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and more brought their A-game to Studio 8H, delivering laughs and chart-topping tunes alike. Which performance blew your mind the most?
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00:00I'm just like a snackaholic. I mean, I love Pringles. If no one's looking, I'll eat like a whole can.
00:06Like every day is my cheat day, you know what I mean?
00:08Welcome to Ms. Mojo. And today, we're counting down our picks for the most notable celebrities
00:13who took on the demanding challenge of hosting SNL while also serving as their own musical guest.
00:18Your honor, the witness has lied under oath. I declare a mistrial because Mr. Miller's credibility is extinct. Ha ha!
00:25Number 10, Britney Spears.
00:27When Britney Spears returned to Studio 8H in 2002, she already knew the drill.
00:33This was her second time pulling double duty after first doing so in season 25, when she was just 19
00:39years old.
00:40Hey, is it hard to get a job here?
00:42Ugh, you don't want to work here, believe me. The money sucks, and the guy who plays Thomas Jefferson is
00:48a total perv.
00:50There's just no jobs around here.
00:52This time around, you could tell she felt way more comfortable.
00:54Her monologue featured a cameo from then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, who also introduced her first musical performance.
01:01Justin, that wasn't me. I wasn't, that was not me.
01:11Ketan, you gotta stop doing that, man!
01:13Sketch-wise, Spears was game.
01:15She fully jumped into the absurdity of every bit, from the ridiculous Inside Barbie's Dreamhouse sketch, to the final iteration
01:22of the Gemini's twin series.
01:24I play a runaway slave whose name is Angawa.
01:28Yeah, cause I wasn't gonna do that.
01:30She also delivered polished performances of I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman, and Boys, a well-rounded showcase
01:36from arguably the biggest pop star at the time.
01:39Number 9. Harry Styles
01:41I am very excited to be doing comedy tonight, but I just want to make it clear to you all
01:45that my priority is the music.
01:48It goes music, then comedy.
01:51Well, let's be honest, it goes music, then fantastic hair, then comedy.
01:56After multiple appearances on the show, Harry Styles finally stepped into the SNL hosting chair for season 45.
02:03This episode marked his fifth appearance as a musical guest, having already performed three times alongside One Direction and once
02:10as a solo artist.
02:11This time, he was as remarkable as ever, delivering renditions of his tracks Lights Up and Watermelon Sugar.
02:17Watermelon Sugar High
02:20Watermelon Sugar High
02:22Watermelon Sugar High
02:24His performance as a host, though, showed a different side of him entirely.
02:29Styles gave it his all and was completely game for anything the writers threw at him, whether he was playing
02:34an over-eager intern or an unusually thirsty social media manager.
02:38Yeah, for him, Sarah Lee commented with a few eggplants, water drops, a train, and a ghost emoji.
02:46And that's a reference to...
02:48Getting railed to death, yes.
02:50He returned for Double Duty in season 51, notably crashing Ryan Gosling's monologue the week before to take notes.
02:57I'm hosting next week, and it's been a while.
03:03It's been a while, so I just wanted to watch, get a feel for it.
03:07Number 8.
03:08Chance the Rapper
03:09Chance the Rapper had already proven his comedic prowess by the time he returned to pull Double Duty on season
03:1545.
03:15I don't like Google, I use Bing. I like french fries from Burger King. When it comes to Harry Potter,
03:22people give me grief because I prefer Percy Jackson Lightning Thief.
03:25Having already appeared as a musical guest twice and hosted a separate episode where Eminem handled the music, he knew
03:32exactly what the SNL machine looked like from the inside.
03:35And you could easily see that from the way he handled himself.
03:38His eccentric sports reporter Laszlo Holmes made a comeback, but we were also gifted new characters like Judge Barry, who
03:45became instant fan favorites.
03:47Your name is Lud Denzel.
03:49Oh, you definitely get a guilty.
03:51Thank you, Your Honor.
03:53Well, but you ain't even hear my story.
03:56Whatever it is, you did it, man.
03:58Throughout the episode, Chance leaned fully into the silliness, which certainly always helps on SNL.
04:03When you've been in and around the building that long, you tend to know how to make it work.
04:08They're made for dancing, and by dancing, I mean a terrified this.
04:17Number 7. Taylor Swift.
04:20During her first appearance as a musical guest in season 34, Taylor Swift showed signs she had what it took
04:26to deliver as a host.
04:27Annie, sweetie, not the time, okay?
04:30Please?
04:31Yeah, watch yourself, Phantom.
04:33Had a hard-knock life, okay?
04:34Someone steps to me, I break them.
04:37Okay.
04:37The following season, she got the chance to prove that.
04:40Her opening monologue, which she wrote herself, turned into a mini-musical roast of her own life.
04:46You might think I'd bring up Joe, that guy who broke up with me on the phone,
04:49but I'm not gonna mention him in my monologue.
04:54Hey, Joe, I'm doing real well.
04:56From then on, Swift flexed her comedic muscles, delivering a spot-on impression of Kate Gosselin.
05:01Holding her own alongside heavy hitters like Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Kenan Thompson is no small feat,
05:07but Swift managed it with surprising ease.
05:10Oh, you have a book out?
05:12Actually, no.
05:13I'm just walking up to people and asking them if they want me to sign whatever book they're holding.
05:17With musical performances of You Belong With Me and Untouchable,
05:21this rounded out to be one of the most impressive showings from the career of an already impressive performer.
05:26And my mom's a roller coaster, and I was born in the, uh, in the 1930s.
05:31So, what do you have to say about that, Penelope?
05:34Number 6. Stevie Wonder.
05:36When Stevie Wonder pulled Double Duty in Season 8, the episode had a genuinely unique dynamic.
05:42Eddie Murphy was still a cast member at the time, and had made a habit of impersonating Wonder on the
05:47show.
05:48Having the real Stevie in the building made for some brilliantly self-aware moments between the two.
05:53Hello, I'd just like to say, it's gonna be a great pleasure appearing on the Miss Black Teenage America program.
06:02This guy is a dog. He ain't nothing like Teenage America.
06:05When it came time for the musical segments, Wonder reminded everyone exactly why he's legendary.
06:10Sitting at the piano, he performed Overjoyed and Go Home with the kind of effortless brilliance
06:15that makes you forget you're watching a television program.
06:18Maybe two if you would believe, you two might be overjoyed, over love, oh-ho-ho-ho-ho.
06:29This episode marked the last appearance of Murphy's Stevie Wonder impression,
06:32because once the real guy shows up and delivers like that, there's simply no topping it.
06:37The Isaac Brothers in the 60s, they used to say, four dead in Ohio.
06:42What a dana. Now they sing Between the Sheets.
06:50After unsuccessfully auditioning for SNL in 2008,
06:54Donald Glover made his first official appearance on the show ten years later as both host and musical guest.
06:59That guy came in. And yet, Mr. Miller, may I remind you and the court
07:06that all dinosaurs at Jurassic Park are female.
07:10The night felt electric from start to finish. Glover's comedic instincts felt effortless,
07:15which makes sense considering his background in comedy writing and acting before his music career exploded.
07:21Every sketch was more hilarious than the last, with Glover taking a central role in every one.
07:27From playing a ridiculous lawyer in the courtroom sketch,
07:29to an even more ridiculous social media intern in Barbie Instagram.
07:33Can't shake the image of that girl getting hit by that car.
07:38Four years ago outside of my dream house.
07:41Anyway, I was holding a chocolate bar like this one.
07:44This episode also saw the live debut of his song, This Is America,
07:47which was released simultaneously and went on to win record and song of the year at the Grammys.
07:53This is America. Don't catch you slipping now. Don't catch you slipping now.
07:59Look what I'm whipping now. This is America.
08:02Number 4.
08:03Lady Gaga.
08:04Lady Gaga has pulled Double Duty twice, but her second time was definitively better.
08:09Performing Abracadabra and Killa from her album Mayhem,
08:13Gaga brought the full theatrical spectacle you'd expect,
08:16with vocals that silenced any doubt about her staying power.
08:26What truly elevated the episode was how willing she was to just let loose and be funny.
08:31Gaga leaned into the comedy sketches with genuine self-awareness,
08:34whether they were musical-themed like Wonderful Tonight,
08:37or carried a bit of her dark energy like Birthday at Friendly's.
08:41Drink! Drink!
08:43Now you are re-baptized by the Mother of Beasts.
08:47Watching her jump from absurd sketches to arena-level musical moments within minutes felt like
08:53witnessing two different performers at the very top of their game.
08:56That's just the kind of range Lady Gaga possesses.
08:59Little red glasses have the eye-catching qualities of a stop sign,
09:02and they pair perfectly with things that make me me.
09:05Like, if I'm in the sauna, you know you're seeing everything.
09:09Number 3. Bruno Mars
09:11Singer, producer, instrumentalist, dancer,
09:15Bruno Mars has always been something of a Swiss army knife when it comes to entertainment.
09:19But we'd never really seen a comedic side to him until he hosted SNL.
09:24I'm just jealous because I'm young, and I got a debit card, and I know where to party!
09:31Mars performed Locked Out of Heaven and Young Girls with the kind of groove
09:34that is simply his default setting.
09:36But beyond that, he also tore through a series of killer musical impressions
09:41in a sketch about a fictional Pandora station that loses its transmission.
09:52Mars committed fully to every joke, never once looking like a pop star slumming it in comedy.
09:58The digital short Sad Mouse, where he plays a melancholy Times Square mascot,
10:02still stands out as beautifully bizarre.
10:04Few double duty hosts have made it look this easy.
10:08What if they don't wave back?
10:11What do you mean, what if who doesn't wave back?
10:12What are you talking about?
10:13In the emotional state that I'm in, if I wave, and they didn't wave back,
10:18that's just gonna be really, really hard.
10:20Number 2. Ariana Grande.
10:22Guys, I'm backstage where things are really heating up, and I think I might be busting a move.
10:29So you know what slime it is, the Kids' Choice Awards.
10:33She's now one of the most beloved SNL hosts of the 2020s,
10:36but Ariana Grande's first time in the hosting chair already hinted at that status.
10:41The Pandora sketch from Bruno Mars' episode was revived here,
10:44with Grande unleashing an incredible range of musical impressions,
10:48from Britney Spears to Celine Dion and even Whitney Houston.
11:02The Dangerous Woman era was in full swing,
11:04and Grande's musical performances matched the confidence she brought to every sketch.
11:09When she wasn't impersonating Jennifer Lawrence to hilarious effect,
11:12she was playing a troubled nun confronting her fellow sisters for gossiping about her.
11:16Grande handled both sides of the job like a pro,
11:20and it's easy to see why she's been invited back again and again.
11:24Goodness, you're being a bit sensitive, Maria. We weren't saying anything negative about you.
11:29Oh yeah? Then what's the song called?
11:31Well, it doesn't really have a name.
11:33Do not run with me right now!
11:35Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:39Billie Eilish. The first 21st century-born host,
11:43Eilish proved brooding and funny aren't mutually exclusive.
11:46Even though you think I'm a tacky, fake b****, I know that my Christmas cards make you jealous,
11:51and I love that I still have that power over you.
11:55So, happy holidays, tampon girl. That's what I called your wife in high school.
12:01Elton John. Several cameos and a wonderful showing from John made this episode a celebratory night.
12:07I think I prefer being shocked by a hair dryer.
12:10Oh, you're so bad. Why are you being a grumpy goose?
12:12I'm not being a grumpy goose.
12:18Slaps are it. Give me a smile. No, give me a real smile.
12:23Janet Jackson. Two months after her wardrobe malfunction, Jackson made a brave return to live TV.
12:29And I also heard that she took two of her ribs out of her waist just to make it smaller.
12:33Well, that is true. Yes, that is true. That is true. I heard that also.
12:38You know, I also heard that she and Michael are the same person.
12:41Mick Jagger. The Rolling Stones frontman brought rock star swagger to this solo gig.
12:45For years, I was a lost soul. Then one day, I decided to take a right on Hillhurst.
12:53And then a left onto Griffith Park Boulevard, which put me right on the five forever.
13:02Queen Latifah. With an effortlessly cool showing, Latifah reinforced her entertainment royalty status.
13:08All right, look, Zings. Let's finish this fast. And from what I hear, nobody finishes faster than you.
13:14Mousetrap. Cheese. Mouse, mouse, mouse.
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13:37Number 1. Justin Timberlake.
13:39When the conversation turns to double-duty SNL legends, Justin Timberlake is the benchmark
13:45against which everyone else gets measured.
13:47Did you know your lip is bleeding?
13:49Hmm, that's because they're checked.
13:52It's real dry in the stock room.
13:55It's because of all the cardboard.
13:57A proud five-timer, Timberlake has served as his own musical guest three separate times.
14:02Just one appearance shy of Paul Simon's all-time record.
14:05His season 32 double-duty episode stands definitively above the rest for one landmark reason.
14:11It introduced the world to
14:13in a box.
14:14Girl, like you need something real.
14:16Wanna get you something from the heart.
14:19Something special, girl.
14:21It's my in a box.
14:23The collaborative short with The Lonely Island became an immediate cultural phenomenon and later
14:28won an Emmy for outstanding original music and lyrics.
14:30While there were several original sketches, beloved segments like The Barry Gibb Talk Show also made
14:36a comeback.
14:36Hilarious comedy, show-stopping music performances, and mysterious gift boxes.
14:41This episode had everything.
14:43President Carter!
14:45James Okta!
14:47Pa-pa-pa-pa-peanut farmer!
14:49President Carter!
14:51Who else would you like to see pull double-duty at SNL?
14:54Share your thoughts in the comments below.
14:56I'll see you in the comments below.
14:58I'll see you in the comments below.
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