“Saturday Night Live” is gearing up to kick off its 50th season with actress Jean Smart as the host and Jelly Roll as the musical guest.
Smart, 73, known for her roles in “Hacks” and “Designing Women,” recently won her sixth Emmy and is hosting the iconic NBC sketch show for the first time in her extensive career spanning over four decades. She expressed on Instagram that this opportunity is a “bucket list” moment for her.
Maya Rudolph, a former cast member, is also expected to return to portray Vice President Kamala Harris this season. Given the show’s history of addressing current political events in their opening segments, she may feature in the premiere’s cold open.
Rudolph has previously portrayed Harris and received an Emmy for her performance, but she has not yet taken on the role of presidential candidate.
Lorne Michaels remains the executive producer, a position he has held since the very first episode on October 11, 1975, which was hosted by George Carlin and introduced the original cast known as the Not Ready for Prime Time Players, including Chevy Chase, John Belushi, and Gilda Radner.
This season’s music guest, Jelly Roll, will take the stage alone, marking his first appearance on the show, similar to Smart.
The historic debut of the show is highlighted in Jason Reitman’s newly released film “Saturday Night,” part of a broader celebration as the program approaches its 50th anniversary.
Future episodes will include comedian Nate Bargatze with Coldplay, Ariana Grande with Stevie Nicks, Michael Keaton with Billie Eilish, and John Mulaney with Chappell Roan.
These episodes will culminate in a three-hour primetime special set for February 16, celebrating the milestone season and featuring many of the show’s renowned alumni, including Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and many others.