Like many actors leading top-grossing comedies before him, and many after, Adam Sandler cut his teeth working on Saturday Night Live before going off and becoming one of the top comedy stars around. Unlike former cast members like Martin Short, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and Bill Hader, Sandler has never been back to host the show since his last season in 1995, despite the fact he became a superstar in the years that followed. That’s all going to change now, as news has broken that Sandler will finally make his SNL hosting debut on the May 4 show. Get out your guitars and silly voices, because it's going to be one crazy night!
As per usual, fans of SNL found out that Sandler would be hosting the show thanks to a post on the show’s social media page featuring a card with the star’s name on it, followed by the musical guest’s name (Shawn Mendes). Even the folks at SNL know this is huge, as they lined their post with little alarm emojis. This is accurate, and it is indeed not a drill.
Sandler made his debut on the long-running sketch show in 1991, growing in popularity alongside fellow castmates David Spade, Rob Schneider and the one and only Chris Farley. His repertoire of classic sketches includes the riotous “Opera Man,” “Gap Girls,” and “Canteen Boy” bits, as well as his musical pieces like “Lunch Lady Land” and “The Hanukah Song.” However, after a poor season in the mid-nineties a big shakeup led to the firing of Sandler, Farley and more (making way for the like of Will Ferrell and more), and some hurt feelings have often been assumed as a reason why Sandler spent many years not going back to the stage in Studio 8H. When Sandler talked with the Daily Beast about it a few years ago he still wasn’t sure what led to them being let go but says it all worked out in the end regardless.
Yes, we were [fired]. We kind of quit at the same time as being fired. It was the end of the run for us. The fact that me and him got fired? Who knows. We were on it for a few years, had our run, and everything happens for a reason. We kind of understood because we did our thing. It hurt a lot at the time because we were young and didn’t know where we were going, but it all worked out.
Years later, and after appearing on the show for the 40th Anniversary special (a video he did with Andy Samberg is below), it seems Sandler is ready to go back home for his first hosting gig. Show creator and EP Lorne Michaels expressed his own excitement, saying (via Deadline), "We are happy to welcome Adam back to ‘SNL’ in what is sure to be a special night."
Are you hoping they bring back some of Sandler's classic characters? If so, which ones? How many songs do you think he's going to do? I mean, he has to do at least one…or two…or three, right?