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Some celebrities shine on the big screen but stumble when they take on the live comedy stage of “Saturday Night Live.” From awkward sketches to missed comedic timing, we’re looking at A-list stars who surprisingly couldn’t quite deliver as SNL hosts. Watch as we explore the moments that left viewers scratching their heads rather than laughing out loud, featuring names like Adrien Brody, Oprah Winfrey, and Jeremy Renner.
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00:00Why me? I mean, why didn't they get, like, a classic host? Like Will Ferrell or Tina Fey or Jimmy
00:06Fallon?
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're looking at celebs who, despite achieving A-list status at one point in
00:12their careers, made lousy SNL hosts.
00:15We're excluding Steven Seagal because we've never considered him an A-lister, and it isn't at all surprising that he
00:21was a bad host.
00:21I guess that means that I won't be getting a phone call from you that you lost track of time.
00:2810. Oprah Winfrey
00:30With her Oscar-nominated performance in The Color Purple, Oprah Winfrey showed tremendous promise as an actress.
00:37When they asked me to host this show a few weeks ago, I thought it was going to be the
00:41second most exciting night of my life.
00:44After her talk show gained traction, though, it became increasingly harder to accept Oprah playing anyone other than, well, Oprah.
00:51This is reflected in her 1986 SNL hosting stint, which naturally opens with a monologue from Winfrey.
00:58Then, in her next sketch, Winfrey again plays herself as a guest on The Pat Stevens Show.
01:03What do you talk about on a talk show?
01:08Well, um, let's face it, Pat. You see, I do a morning show, and there are certain subjects that you
01:14pretty much have to do.
01:16There's sex and diet and women's health and babies and children.
01:20Babies and children are similar, aren't they?
01:22Winfrey disappears for large portions of the episode, occasionally resurfacing to play a mom or a scientist whose lines are
01:29mainly exposition.
01:30While the writing doesn't do her any favors, Winfrey demonstrates little range.
01:35Congratulations, Craig! You've done it!
01:39You've done it!
01:41Sorry, but we'd rather watch Maya Rudolph host the show in character as Oprah than watch Winfrey host it herself.
01:48Number 9. Walter Matthau
01:49In addition to being an Oscar winner, Walter Matthau was an all-around comedy legend.
01:54While he could be a great foil in movies like The Odd Couple, his talents didn't necessarily translate well to
02:01live-sketch comedy.
02:02I started to tell some very funny stories, you know, just to break the ice.
02:07Well, they stared at me.
02:10And if they laughed at all, it was just to be polite. I could tell that.
02:14Jane Curtin called Matthau her least favorite SNL host to work with.
02:18According to Curtin, Matthau didn't take his duties as host very seriously.
02:23Seeing it as all fun and games.
02:25Hey, Sneeze, go, go, come on, let's play, yeah, you just, yeah, right.
02:27And it was disrespecting our space.
02:30Right, right.
02:30And it really pissed me off.
02:32For those who have to put on this show every week, it's a stressful experience where every second counts.
02:37You can sense that tension in Matthau's monologue as he discusses his week with the cast.
02:43Although Matthau's curmudgeon delivery can get a sporadic chuckle, the chemistry between him and the cast isn't there.
02:49What are you guys doing with this thing? Huh?
02:53Aren't you a little, a little young to be looking there?
02:58Aren't you a little bit old?
02:59Number 8. Jeremy Renner
03:01Robert Downey Jr. often gets flack as the worst SNL cast member ever.
03:05But we still think he'd make a better host than his fellow Avenger.
03:09I'm known more for action movies. Action movies where I play intense, troubled heroes with a thirst for danger.
03:16If I laugh in one of my movies, somebody dies.
03:20While Jeremy Renner is a man of many talents, people generally know him best as Hawkeye.
03:25Right off the bat, you get the impression that Renner wants to prove that there's more to him than Clint
03:30Barton.
03:30After stumbling through his opening song and monologue, though, Renner never really finds his footing.
03:36Yeah, Julian, I'm curious about what happened to last night's pickup.
03:40Oh, I mean, I'm sorry, boss. You know, Paco and his boys, they got there before SNL!
03:45He didn't know I didn't know you!
03:46That's great, Jeremy, but you gotta be right there, buddy. You gotta be right there on that line.
03:50Even when poking fun at his tough guy persona, the Oscar nominee seems out of his element.
03:54His only highlight is a Marvel sketch, ironically emphasizing that his most famous character is arguably the most disposable Avenger.
04:03A misfire from a great actor.
04:06I wish there could have been more help.
04:07Maybe you can. Hulk, grab him!
04:10What do you mean? I can't...
04:12Number 7. Billy Bob Thornton
04:19When Billy Bob Thornton hosted SNL in 2001, his most acclaimed work had primarily been in dramas.
04:26When I made Sling Blade, it was a film that meant a lot to me.
04:28I mean, how do you think it feels to create something that means a lot to you,
04:31and then you find out they're selling plastic Sling Blade teeth in Spencer's GIFs.
04:34It's really not fun.
04:35Had he hosted two years later, after doing Bad Santa, SNL might have realized what they had on their hands.
04:42Unfortunately, the writers apparently didn't know what to do with him,
04:46and Thornton doesn't look especially ecstatic to be there either.
04:49Corn? What in creation is corn?
04:52Well, it's only the most genius food ever. It's nutritious, it's decorative, and how much do I love the shape?
04:59Most of the time, he just seems to be playing himself, even when playing a gay pilgrim.
05:04Whether in his comfort zone or acting against type, Thornton comes off as uncomfortable whenever on screen.
05:10Even if SNL had been able to capitalize on Thornton's success with Bad Santa down the line,
05:16you can only do so much with that schtick anyway.
05:18I'm really sorry, I just got carried away.
05:21I'm truly sorry.
05:22Just stay here, stay with me, okay?
05:24Just hang on a minute, buddy.
05:26I'll even answer the question from this whatever, Bernard.
05:29Yeah, yeah, yeah, that, that.
05:33Number 6, Hilary Swank.
05:36A few years after winning her first Oscar and barely a week before winning her second, Hilary Swank hosted SNL.
05:43I like to do my homework, so I spent the week studying the cast.
05:48You would not believe how intensely these guys prepare.
05:51She mentions at the top of her monologue that her comedy experience is limited,
05:56which is obvious throughout the rest of the episode.
05:58Swank has an expressive face, which proves to be her best comedic asset, yet something of a drawback.
06:05The windmill down.
06:06My hand.
06:08Yeah!
06:10Yeah!
06:13Cut! Arlene! Arlene!
06:16I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I forgot the choreography.
06:19Much of the time, Swank resorts to mugging at the camera without the line delivery or writing to back her
06:24up.
06:25You can tell that she's trying, which is more than can be said about some of the hosts on this
06:29list who phoned it in.
06:31Swank seems over-eager, though, coming off as amateurish, going up against seasoned comedic talent.
06:36To think someone would do that just enrages me.
06:40I'm so enraged right now.
06:42Number 5, January Jones.
06:45January Jones scored an Emmy nomination, as well as two Golden Globe nods for her performance as Betty Draper on
06:52Mad Men.
06:53Jones was well-suited to play the restrained Betty, a housewife who seemingly has everything on the surface,
06:58but is harboring loneliness and unfulfillment underneath.
07:01Is that you or your choice?
07:04Uh, that'd be you, Grace.
07:06Okay.
07:08I'm ready.
07:09Once Jones hosted SNL, though, people began to question her range as a performer.
07:13Whether playing a Dairy Queen employee or a farting Grace Kelly, Jones' delivery is so flat that every character feels
07:21the same.
07:22What'd you do next?
07:23Uh, well, without thinking, I just grabbed the hot crock of butterscotch dip and flung it in his face.
07:28Hi-oh!
07:29Even when Jones isn't talking, you can tell you're watching an actress awkwardly waiting for their next line.
07:35The writing doesn't help, but Jones seems uninterested in elevating it.
07:40This was the exact moment that Jones went from A-lister to B-list.
07:44Why don't we, uh, we'll just be quiet for a while, you know, just lie here, enjoy the scenery, not
07:50even worry about talking.
07:53I guess I'll keep my trapper shut.
07:57Number 4, Milton Berle.
07:59If your birthday falls somewhere between The Silent Generation and Generation X, you might regard Milton Berle as a comedy
08:06institution.
08:07See what it says?
08:08Hi, Uncle Miltie, yeah?
08:09Let me see that, sir.
08:11Get out of here, will ya?
08:13I'd like to put my finger in your ear and go bowling.
08:18You're pretty old to come to this kind of a show, pal.
08:20By the time he hosted SNL in 1979, Mr. Television was past his prime.
08:26You may think that's unfair, but anyone who's seen his SNL episode knows what we're talking about.
08:31With outdated jokes and routines, Berle seemed reluctant to evolve with a changing comedy landscape.
08:37Oh, it's a long, long while, from May to December, but the days grow short when you reach September.
08:48He was even more unwilling to share the spotlight, hijacking the show to the point that he had a standing
08:54ovation arranged for his performance of September song.
08:57Berle was banned from SNL, and while he wasn't blacklisted across the industry, it's probably not a coincidence that he
09:04was mainly restricted to guest spots and cameos thereafter.
09:08Very talented. Just wait outside, please. The worst. How many more do we have?
09:17Just a few more.
09:18Number 3. Malcolm McDowell
09:20Malcolm McDowell gave one of the most menacing performances in cinematic history as Alex in A Clockwork Orange.
09:27McDowell has shown that his naturally chilling voice can be used for comedic effect.
09:31I'm gonna let you into a little secret. The only reason I did this bloody show was to get a
09:36new permit anyway.
09:37With the right material, we think McDowell could have made for a fun SNL host.
09:41Unfortunately, he hosted the second episode of the infamously bad season 6 after Lorne Michaels temporarily left.
09:49Of this particular crop of episodes, McDowell's may contain the most misguided humor.
09:55Tell us about the new album, would you please?
09:57Well, uh, it's mainly love songs and a few oven cleaning tips.
10:04We think the album kind of shows that we are no different from you or me.
10:10For a while, it was even considered the worst SNL ever.
10:13Although we've seen worse episodes since, McDowell is rather unappealing as a host.
10:19You could call him an innocent bystander of a train wreck, but from his laughless monologue alone, you can tell
10:25this is gonna be rough.
10:27I'm sure you'll all bag your quota.
10:30I hope we do.
10:31Oh, it's just about startin' time, so let's load up.
10:36Number 2. Casey Affleck
10:38Big brother Ben Affleck has hosted SNL a few times, usually with solid results.
10:44With Casey Affleck on the verge of winning an Oscar for Manchester by the Sea, you'd think he'd be just
10:49as good as an SNL host.
10:51It's also great, but sad. But funny, but just crushingly sad.
10:57But it's also not as sad as Ocean's 12, which I was also in.
11:05That said, have you seen the performance that made Affleck a Best Actor winner?
11:10It's one of the single most gut-wrenching pieces of acting ever committed to the screen.
11:15Expecting Affleck to go from that film to SNL is like going to Disneyland immediately after a funeral.
11:21I usually don't stand up for myself, you know? I usually just let guys walk all over me.
11:27But, you know, when I see you do that, it makes me want to do something like this.
11:30No!
11:31If Affleck had a funny bone before, it was out of commission by the time he took to the Studio
11:368H stage.
11:37Affleck simply looked tired throughout his sketches, leaving his A-game out to sea.
11:42I'm like the mayor of Dunkin'. This is the face of Dunkin' Donuts right here.
11:46Hey, you can't smoke in here, man.
11:47I'm not, Mark. I'm not smoking in here.
11:48You're smoking in here.
11:49It's all tight. I was just kidding, man.
11:59Before we continue, check out this single from Sound Mojo's album Balance,
12:03classical music reimagined as rock, hard rock, and metal.
12:06Check out the full track and album below.
12:09Fortune calls, rise and ruin, night and noon, all are prisoners of the name.
12:22Number 1, Adrian Brody.
12:25As deserving as Adrian Brody was of his Oscar win for The Pianist,
12:29it might have gone to his head for a period.
12:32She was my date to the Academy Awards.
12:37She was there at the Golden Globes.
12:39She was at the premiere of The Pianist.
12:41She's here tonight to cheer me on.
12:44Hell, it was apparent when he kissed Halle Berry right after winning.
12:47That wasn't Brody's most notorious moment on live TV, however.
12:51Now that he was a Best Actor winner,
12:53Brody seemingly thought he could get away with going off script,
12:57randomly doing a Jamaican accent with dreadlocks.
13:00I give a big up, enough respect, I dance hard players, you know?
13:03And I shun John!
13:05It's been debated whether or not this got Brody banned from SNL,
13:09but it's probably the reason why he was never invited back.
13:13Setting that bit of improvisation aside,
13:15Brody demonstrates in each of his sketches that,
13:18unless you get Wes Anderson to direct him,
13:20you can't count on this guy to deliver the laughs.
13:23Speaking of which, let's take a little field trip, okay?
13:26It's 80s night, down at shenanigans.
13:28Which celeb do you think failed to bring their A material to SNL?
13:32Let us know in the comments!
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