The return of The Four Seasons to the 2026 TV schedule is one of the big reasons I’m grateful to have a Netflix subscription. When the series first premiered this time last year, I had a blast getting to know the group of funny and relatable fifty-somethings on their seasonal vacations. Now that Season 2 of The Four Seasons is here, I already hope it’s the kind of show we get a lot more of, and its cast and creators thankfully feel the same way.

When I sat down with the stars and showrunners of the show in its second season, I had a glaring question that seemed so obvious that I had to ask it. It’s only right that a show that’s called The Four Seasons should get four seasons, don’t you think? Here’s what Tina Fey thinks about CinemaBlend’s query:

It’s either The Four Seasons or The Four Seasons² – there’s no in between! Tracey Wigfield, who is also one of the show’s creators alongside Fey and Lang Fisher, also showed support for four seasons of The Four Seasons. In her words:

When The Four Seasons first started, it was marketed as a miniseries. But, as Wigfield also told us in our interview, they “always” thought of the idea as a continuous show that could go on for multiple seasons. After Season 1 ended with the big reveal of Ginny being pregnant with Nick’s baby, Season 2 also leaves some questions open-ended for the creators to build upon in a third season. Erika Henningsen (who plays Ginny) said this about the show's potential:

Clearly everyone involved in The Four Seasons loves working on the show and would like to continue. Kerri Kenney-Silver, who plays Anne, added this:

It definitely helps that the series is full of very funny people and allows them to go to various beautiful destinations together. During our chat with some of the cast, they couldn’t stop gushing about getting to go to Claude’s homeland in the Italian Alps this time around.

After finishing The Four Seasons Season 2, I know I’m curious about what’s next for Claude and Danny after they decided to leave Italy to take care of Danny’s mother. I also want to know how Anne’s dating life post-Nick will fare after this past season, and I’m always entertained by Kate and Jack’s relationship. Plus, will we get another flashback episode for Steve Carell’s Nick? There are so many possibilities, and I know I’ll be holding my breath for a third-season renewal announcement!

Spoilers for Season 2 of The Four Seasons are ahead!

One of the best new shows to watch with a Netflix subscription last year was Tina Fey’s dramedy The Four Seasons. Since it stars a bunch of funny people alongside Fey, like Will Forte and Steve Carell, a lot of viewers (including myself) really didn’t see it coming when Carell’s character Nick unexpectedly died in Episode 7 of Season 1. Since the show was renewed for Season 2 after the big pregnancy cliffhanger, we knew we were going to miss the actor in the show, but the showrunners found a way to bring him back.

Now that Season 2 has come out on the 2026 TV schedule, we know that Steve Carell’s Nick makes a comeback in Episode 7, “Little Thanksgiving.” It’s a flashback episode set in 2020 where the group of friends comes together to enjoy the holidays after dealing with isolation and social distancing all year. When CinemaBlend spoke to Tina Fey about bringing Carell back to the show, here’s what she had to say:

When Tina Fey was promoting the first season of The Four Seasons, she shared a funny anecdote about how when Carell learned he was going to die in the show, he reacted by saying, “Why does this keep happening to me?” Fey had no idea that a similar thing had recently happened to him on The Morning Show, too. So, perhaps bringing him back was partially driven by guilt. But then again, obviously, if you can have Steve Carell in your show, it feels like you should.

As I pointed out to The Four Seasons showrunner and star, she had joked about bringing the character back as a ghost or zombie, but ultimately, what made sense for the show was a flashback episode. As she added:

In the episode, we learn that prior to Nick and Anne’s divorce (which we saw start to take shape in Season 1), Nick had flirted with an extramarital affair with a woman that he ultimately ended once he was found out. It really shot Anne’s confidence, which she’s been living with for quite some time. One especially memorable moment in the episode is when Anne almost decides to leave Nick, but can’t bring herself to. Fey spoke to that scene with these words:

After the ending of Season 1, I know that I didn’t expect to see Steve Carell back in the show, but it was really welcome, and I loved learning more about the backstory of The Four Seasons friend group. Tina Fey and the other showrunners definitely found a great way to bring Nick back in a way that made complete sense.

One of my favorite new shows of 2025 was definitely Tina Fey’s The Four Seasons. With my Netflix subscription, I binged the heck out of this dramedy about a group of friends in their 50s. Still, when I saw that the second season would premiere as part of the 2026 TV schedule I had a moment where I questioned how the show could be returning so quickly in a TV landscape where series can have two-year hiatuses at minimum. So CinemaBlend just had to ask series star/creator Tina Fey and her colleagues about that relatively quick turnaround.

During my recent conversation with the creators of The Four Seasons, we discussed the novelty of streaming show returning in a relatively prompt amount of time. Fey explained how the creative process for the first season factored into the making of the second season:

I love to see it! Tina Fey very much comes from the world of network TV, where it's historically been normal for shows to return every single year. And, of course, before that, she worked on Saturday Night Live, where the turnaround was even tighter. However, as she explained, one reason they really wanted to get moving on Season 2 was to allow for Ginny’s pregnancy plotline to play out like it was happening in real time. As co-creator Lang Fisher added:

The Four Seasons Season 1 left viewers with two big bombs. Steve Carell’s character, Nick, unexpectedly dies and, when the friends and his partner, Ginny, reunite for his funeral, Ginny reveals she’s pregnant with the late hedge fun manager's baby. When we pick up with the gang this season, Ginny is hanging with them again for another one of their vacations, this time to spread Nick’s ashes. Co-creator Tracey Wigfield said this about getting the new season off the ground so soon:

I totally agree with her! And, if Four Seasons had been on hiatus for two to three years like a lot of my other shows, the momentum of curiosity for what happens with these friends on their quarterly vacations just wouldn’t be the same. Because of this release method, I truly feel like I’m catching up with this group in real time rather than feeling like I need a big refresher at the start of the new season.

Joining Tina Fey on the show are Will Forte, Colman Domingo, Marco Calvani, Kerri Kenney-Silver and Erika Henningsen. Fans can see all eight episodes of Four Seasons Season 2 when they hit Netflix on Thursday, May 28. Here's also hoping the show's producers stick to the trend of releasing a new season yearly.

Major blood-soaked spoilers below for the latest episode of The Boys, so wade carefully if you haven’t yet watched via Amazon Prime subscription.

Ho-leeee. Mo-leeee. Fri-joleeees. The Boys has once again topped itself with the episode “One-Shots,” which shockingly killed off a major Supe, set up an until-death rivalry between two others, and delivered a celebrity cameo-filled sequence that went far beyond the highly anticipated Supernatural reunion for Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins. This will no doubt go down as one of the most fun and bloodiest hours in all of 2026 TV.

So let’s put our viscera-proof swimming caps on and dive into this muck to celebrate all the larger-than-usual number of wild and gory deaths, as well as series executive producer Seth Rogen heading up a murderer’s row (and eventually murdered row) of comedy stars, including Kumail Nanjiani, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Will Forte and Craig Robinson. All in a day’s work for the Supes that populate The Boys, amirite?

Jensen Ackles Got To Brutally Kill Off His Supernatural Co-Stars

The very first look at Misha Collins on The Boys surprisingly foreshadowed his death in the episode, with Soldier Boy holding his character Malchemical by the throat just before snapping the Supe's neck. I thought the show might buck that expectation somehow, but no.

From a plot perspective, Malchemical's death is pretty tragic by way of Butcher & Co.'s grand plan to kill off Homelander, since he could emit fumes noxious enough to knock the Seven's leader unconscious. Unfortunately, none of The Boys are likely aware Malcehmical exists, and thus likely won't be able to reverse-engineer his knockout gas. (That said, I'm holding out hope for Misha Collins-as-a-corpse to reappear in Episode 506 for Frenchie to extract DNA from.)

Jared Padalecki's speedster Mister Marathon was also an important introduction for the overall plot, as he confirmed where perhaps the last remaining vials of the V1 serum are. But his death was most much elaborate, utilizing some of the gnarliest practical effects I've ever seen in this show. (But only after fans got to see a hilarious assortment of Sony Pictures-produced VCU offshoot movies with Padalecki's character front and center.)

In a sequence straight out of a Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon, Marathon runs arouns his mansion chasing Soldier Boy, who amusingly puts the various celebs in his pursuer's path, causing each of them to full-on explode the way Hughie's girlfriend did when A-Train zipped through her. I guess Rogen didn't get fully 'sploded, but more on that below.

I Absolutely Loved The Dorky Nods To Superbad And Saturday Night Live

If you're looking for an SNL vet to play the weirdest dude in your movie, you're probably gonna go with Kyle Mooney. But if we're talking the second-weirdest character, that's the realm ruled over by talents like Will Forte and Bill Hader. Only, the latter isn't around anymore in The Boys' timeline, as he was outed (correctly or otherwise) as being a Starlighter, and Forte was only too happy to take advantage. As he put it:

I think hearing him refer to himself as "The Forte" could grow on me. But probably not for a while.

Elsewhere, when everyone is reacting in a panic to Homelander getting knocked out, Mister Marathon makes it clear that one of Forte's most memorable characters does indeed exist in this universe.

• WILL FORTE: Can we f--k off, please?!?
• MISTER MARATHON: Chill out, MacGruber! Everything is cool.

Forte's body does end up looking like the wrong end of a MacGruber mission, as he's the first celeb Soldier Boy sacrifices while running away.

But let's jump back a bit to before things getting so bloody. Seeing Seth Rogen and Christopher Mitz-Plasse together at the card table immediately sparked memories of Superbad, given that was the movie that put Mintz-Plasse on the map. So it's only fitting that he hilariously threw co-star Michael Cera under the bus as a possible traitor.

• CHRIS MINTZ-PLASSE: Hey, do we think Michael Cera's a Starlighter? 'Cause we're up for the same part right now, and it'd be pret-ty good if he got vanished.
• SETH ROGEN: You've been friends with him for 20 years, Chris.
• CHRIS: Yeah, but I really need this part, man.

A couple of minutes later, Homelander's ire has everyone on edge, and Mintz-Plasse once again draws attention to the Arrested Development vet, saying:

Technically, the Bill Hader comment could also count as a Superbad reference, since he and Rogen played the bumbling cops in that. Fans may recall that Craig Robinson played a drug dealer in 2007 comedy and its "Cop Car Confessions" extras. Well, he also showed up for an extremely brief cameo to gripe about Danny Trejo's tacos before Mister Marathon turned him into human salsa.

Seth Rogen Joked About Hating Weed And Then Got Half His Body Blown Off

Amidst all of the stressful happenings, Mintz-Plasse sparks up a joint and offers it to Rogen, who turns it down with the following reasoning:

It's high-ly ridiculous for this scene to imply that Mintz-Plasse wouldn't already be aware of Rogen's disinterest in the devil's lettuce after so many years. But still a funny joke, since there's a less than 0% chance that Rogen wasn't stoned while filming that very scene.

Firecracker's Fuse Was Permanently Snuffed

After all the earlier events of the episode, including Sister Sage laying out her mega-plan to eradicate humanity and catch up on reading, Homelander punctuated the episode off with another shocking death. After Firecracker pulled off arguably her most deplorable and sickening act by falsely accusing her hometown pastor and his church of being in cahoots with Starlighter, so soon after sitting with him and knowing that wasn't the case at all.

Against her better wishes, Firecracker remained loyal to Homelander's "I'm God now" turn to a fault, and likely would have continued to do his bidding for years on end. Which could have happened just so if Homelander never learned that she bagged his old man. He should have directed his anger at Soldier Boy, who knew that Homelander didn't rise to the occasion with her, but instead took it out on the one who actually had his back.

It's not quite as divisive as A-Train death scene in the premiere, since there wasn't anything redeemable happening with Firecracker. But still gave an equally cruel example of how little Homelander cares about anything or anyone around him. He's even getting breast milk from rando churchgoers now? For shame.

Find out who'll be the next to die when The Boys drops the rest of Season 5's episodes on Prime Video every Wednesday.

Will Forte is pretty well-known for crafting some of SNL’s most beloved sketches, as well as for bringing his madcap energy to those performances. Behind the scenes, however, he’s known for completely different reasons, such as being a prankster. Except wait, maybe the ways he was “getting” people weren’t actually pranks. I mean, is that what you’d call it if someone stuck his hand in your urine stream?

That pee-damming effort was first talked about years ago, though one can understand why it isn’t brought up at each and every Saturday Night Live-related interview. In any case, former non-acting staff writer John Mulaney appeared on the podcast Off Menu with hosts Ed Gamble and James Acaster, and was asked whether or not the urinal prank was legit, and if it happened to him. According to the esteemed stand-up comedian:

It seems to me that if you're really near and around Will Forte deflecting someone's pee stream, you might unwittingly be in a splash zone. Which is...non-ideal for anyone at work, to say the least.

Mulaney gave a physical representation of how Forte would do it, and I'm wondering how in the world this could have started.

Yikes to the nth degree. Amusingly, that kicked off the semi-discussion about whether that actually counts as a textbook definition of a prank being pulled on another person. As the comedian put it:

After talking about another reported-on instance where Forte smashed up a wall in Colin Jost's office with a baseball bat, John Mulaney laughingly took a more critical approach to describing these things that Forte did, questioning whether the casual "prank" nomenclature actually applies here.

Making someone stay hungry is the worst kind of prank. Okay, no, the urinal thing is worse.

Seth Meyers can speak to the idea that inviting Will Forte to your wedding will inevitably cause some hilarious grief, probably by way of an awkward speech. Also, not quite a prank, though it was predetermined and drawn out.

With that viewpoint, was it technically a prank for SNL's writers to switch up lines for Ryan Gosling and Ashley Padilla during an episode in March 2026? Sure, why not. I'm willing to now allow any jokey actions that don't involve peeing on a coworker's hands to join the club.

Might we see Will Forte (with presumably clean hands) showing up as one of the upcoming SNL guest hosts in an episode yet to hit the 2026 TV schedule? Maybe so if he’s on his P(ee)s and Qs. Fans can find past episodes streaming via Peacock subscription.

Few television series have quite the history of Saturday Night Live. For five decades, the show has provided us with some of the most memorable comedy and most memorable comedians that we’ve ever seen. Will Forte is certainly among the top tier who have found incredible success thanks to the show, but it turns out that he still gets starstruck when meeting the comedians who are even bigger names.

Forte was one of many who attended the massive SNL 50 event that saw some of the biggest names in entertainment, former cast members, former hosts, and more, in attendance. Speaking with EW, Forte admits he still gets starstruck quite regularly, and mentions two specific SNL vets who make him feel that way, Bill Murray and Martin Short. Forte said…

I’m not sure i can blame Will Forte all that much. As somebody who has had the opportunity to meet and talk with celebrities on a not infrequent basis, it never feels like it gets any easier to talk to them. Even people who aren’t necessarily A-list celebrities by most definitions can be intimidating if it’s somebody whose work you respect.

Bill Murray would likely come across to most as intimidating, and while Martin Short might actually be as nice as he appears, if I met him, you can be sure I wouldn’t know what to say.

Of course, Will Forte would have a much easier time starting a conversation, especially at a big SNL party, because he was a big part of the show’s success, too, just like those people he met at the event. Forte said…

Forte says that when he was actually a cast member on Saturday Night Live, he rarely, if ever, had a chance to come to terms with the history and importance of it all because the hectic show schedule made that difficult. It’s only now that he has a chance to come to terms with the fact that he’s part of it, just like the people he has trouble talking to. He continued…

One imagines there are a few current SNL stars who feel about Will Forte that he feels about Bill Murray and Martin Short. I get the impression he won’t mind if they come up and start a conversation

Ever since Grand Theft Auto made the jump to 3D back in 2001, the outrageously popular video game franchise has given gamers some of the most cinematic gaming experiences of all time. While the stories, graphics, and sandbox open worlds have certainly helped in this regard, a lot of that “cinema” quality comes from the games’ A-list casts.

Here are 32 celebrities who appeared in Grand Theft Auto games, be it as a protagonist (or antagonist most of the time) or as DJs for the franchise’s iconic radio stations. There is a lot to go over, so let’s get to it…

Samuel L. Jackson (Frank Tenpenny)

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas took the franchise to new heights back in 2004, and a lot of that was due to the show-stealing performance by Samuel L. Jackson as crooked Los Santos police officer and primary antagonist Frank Tenpenny. The corrupt cop, who made life miserable for protagonist Carl “CJ” Johnson, was a villain you loved to hate.

Ray Liotta (Tommy Vercetti)

Before the late Ray Liotta voiced Tommy Vercetti in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in 2002, none of the protagonists had a voice, or personality for that matter. That all changed when gamers took control of the revenge-driven mobster and walked the neon-lit streets and crowded beaches of this landmark game.

Burt Reynolds (Avery Carrington)

The supporting casts in each of the Grand Theft Auto games have been just as legendary as the primary heroes and villains, and the late Burt Reynolds helped make Grand Theft Auto: Vice City one of the best in this regard. His portrayal of cowboy land developer Avery Carrington was lights out. It’s just a shame we didn’t get more.

William Fichtner (Ken Rosenberg)

In addition to showing up in most of Michael Bay’s best movies, William Fichtner has appeared in a pair of the best Grand Theft Auto games. First introduced as anxiety-ridden and paranoid attorney Ken Rosenberg in Vice City, Fichtner would reprise the role in San Andreas, where Ken was just as insane.

Joe Pantoliano (Luigi Goterelli)

Joe Pantoliano, aka Joey Pants, was just one of many actors known for playing mobsters to show up in Grand Theft Auto III with his portrayal of Luigi Goterelli. The club owner, who is the first to give silent protagonist Claude some work in Liberty City, was made all the better by Pantoliano’s explosive dialogue.

Michael Madsen (Toni Cipriani)

The late Michael Madsen, best known for his work in some of Quentin Tarantino’s best movies, had a supporting role in Grand Theft Auto III. Madsen’s Toni Cipriani, a high-ranking member of the Leone Family crime syndicate, was a major player in the early goings of the game.

Cara Delevingne (DJ Cara)

Though Cara Delevingne’s character is never seen in Grand Theft Auto V, DJ Cara is one of the most engaging and hilarious DJs on the game’s vast collection of radio channels. Her transitions and commentary between tracks for Non Stop Pop FM are worth checking out, even if you don’t want to play the game.

Kyle MacLachlan (Donald Love)

Donald Love, the morally ambiguous owner of Love Media and Liberty City developer who gives the player some wild missions along the way, was voiced by Kyle MacLachlan in Grand Theft Auto III. Willing to do anything and everything to obtain power and money, Love was one of the strangest and most mysterious characters of the franchise.

Dennis Hopper (Steve Scott)

It’s hard to imagine anyone but Dennis Hopper providing the voice of Steve Scott in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The shark-obsessed and ambitious adult film director was one of the main allies Tommy Vercetti made along the way, even if his missions got out of hand!

Philip Michael Thomas (Lance Vance)

Lance Vance started as one of Tommy Vercetti’s most trusted allies, only to become his biggest rival in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City when he wanted a larger slice of the pie. Having the character voiced by Miami Vice star Philip Michael Thomas was just one of the many callbacks to the iconic ‘80s show.

Chris Penn (Eddie Pulaski)

Chris Penn played secondary antagonist Eddie Pulaski, one of the crooked C.R.A.S.H. officers, in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Officer Tenpenny’s right-hand man, this diabolical cop went to great lengths to get under CJ’s skin.

Debbie Harry (Doris)

Legendary punk and fashion icon Debbie Harry showed up in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City when she provided the voice of Doris. The Blondie singer did a great job of giving the Kaufman Cab dispatcher a whole lot of attitude, which led to some great interactions with Tommy Vercetti.

Danny Trejo (Umberto Robina)

Danny Trejo was already on his way to becoming one of the most well-known character actors in Hollywood when he portrayed Cuban gang leader Umberto Robina in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The crime boss gave Tommy Vercetti a number of missions throughout the midsection of the 2002 game.

Katt Williams (Himself)

Grand Theft Auto IV didn’t see as many celebrities voicing characters as previous iterations, but there were still a fair number of big stars in the game. In the case of Katt Williams, the comedian played himself in one of the in-game stand-up routines that protagonist Niko Bellic could watch throughout the game.

Jason Sudeikis (Richard Bastion)

Long before he played Ted Lasso (both in those wild NBC commercials and the popular Apple TV+ series), Jason Sudeikis played a very different type of American character in Grand Theft Auto IV. Sudeikis, who was still on SNL at the time, voiced Richard Bastion, the host of a right-wing call-in show on WKTT talk radio.

Wil Wheaton (Various Characters)

Stand By Me and Star Trek: The Next Generation star Wil Wheaton voiced various characters in the Grand Theft Auto universe. In 2004’s San Andreas, Wheaton was the voice of Richard Burns, a reporter for WCTR, a role he reprised in Liberty City Stories the following year. He would also voice an alien in Grand Theft Auto V.

Ricky Gervais (Himself)

Ricky Gervais brought his brand of comedy to the digital world in Grand Theft Auto IV when he performed an extended stand-up routine in one of Liberty City’s comedy clubs. The 10-minute in-game activity has the comedian’s signature wit and knack for telling uncomfortable jokes in a hilarious way.

Michael Rapaport (Joey Leone)

Michael Rapaport was one of the big-name actors who made the Grand Theft Auto III cast one of the best of all time when he played Joey Leone. The son of Salvatore Leone was one of the player’s earliest contacts, and his missions remain some of the best in the game’s early stages.

Robert Loggia (Ray Machowski)

Though he didn’t reprise his iconic Scarface role (or at least something similar to Frank Lopez) in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Robert Loggia did have a great part in Grand Theft Auto III one year earlier. There are some wild characters in the 2001 game, but corrupt police officer Ray Machowski was in a league of his own. Kudos to those who still have his bulletproof Patriot in the garages after all these years.

Will Forte (Martin Serious)

Saturday Night Live alum (and WWE Raw host) Will Forte showed up in Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and the Damned, the first of two DLC expansions for the 2008 game. In the game, Forte provides the voice of Martin Serious, a shock jock in the vein of Howard Stern on WKTT talk radio.

Robert Davi (Juan Cortez)

Robert Davi, who appeared in movies like The Goonies and Raw Deal in the ‘80s, showed up in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as Juan Cortez, a retired Central American colonel and drug kingpin. The mysterious character, who admired Tommy Vercetti a great deal, provided for some wild (and difficult) missions.

Danny McBride (Duane Earl)

Danny McBride gave players one of the funniest radio DJs in the state of San Andreas when he voiced Duane Earl in Grand Theft Auto V. Host of the Beyond Insemination program on Blaine County Radio (this only became available after leaving Los Santos), Earl was right up there with McBride’s most well-known character, Kenny Powers.

Axl Rose (Tommy ‘The Nightmare’ Smith)

In addition to featuring Guns N’ Roses’ legendary “Welcome to the Jungle” track (it was also in the game’s trailer), Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas also had the band’s lead singer, Axl Rose, portray a radio DJ. Tommy “The Nightmare” Smith could be heard on K-DST radio, aka, The Dust.

Lee Majors (Mitch Baker)

Lee Majors gave his voice to one of the coolest characters in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City with his portrayal of “Big” Mitch Baker, the leader of a biker gang and owner of the Greasy Chopper bar. A major player late in the game, Baker worked with Tommy Vercetti for multiple jobs, including the Love Fist concert.

Tom Sizemore (Sonny Forelli)

On top of playing some of the craziest characters in Hollywood history, the late Tom Sizemore also voiced an unforgettable villain in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Sonny Forelli, the primary antagonist and leader of the Forelli Crime Family, was willing to do anything and everything to make life messy for Tommy Vercetti, which ultimately cost him in the end.

Phil Collins (Himself)

Phil Collins, yes, the Phil Collins, played himself in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. The PSP game, which later came to PS2, featured the “In the Air Tonight” singer in a daring mission where the player had to thwart an assassination attempt. If the player beats the mission and pays $6,000 for a ticket, they can watch a full performance of Collins’ most popular song.

Ice-T (Madd Dogg)

Los Santos rapper Madd Dogg has one of the craziest and most unforgettable arcs in all of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. From having his lyric book and career stolen from him to thinking about ending things before going to rehab to becoming the biggest rapper on the planet, he goes through it. The story is made even better with rapper-turned-actor Ice-T bringing the character to life.

Faizon Love (Sweet)

Though Sweet may be the most annoying character in the entire Grand Theft Auto franchise (well, outside of Roman Bellic), Faizon Love’s performance in San Andreas is great. The Friday and The Parent ‘Hood actor went all-in with his portrayal of Sean “Sweet” Johnson, the older brother to the game’s protagonist. Sweet could be a lot at times, but Love added so much to the character.

James Woods (Mike Toreno)

Every Grand Theft Auto game has a character that’s so out there, they live in a world beyond good and evil. In the case of San Andreas, that responsibility falls into the lap of Mike Toreno, an undercover agent working for an unnamed and shadowy government agency voiced by James Woods. It’s hard to think of another actor who could play Toreno better than the Casino and Once Upon a Time in America actor.

Charlie Murphy (Jizzy B.)

Though we didn’t get to see too much of Jizzy B. before CJ took him out in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, this performance by the late Charlie Murphy made the owner of the Pleasure Domes nightclub a character many of us still think about 20-plus years later. The Loco Syndicate member was mean, vicious, and a little pathetic, but he was so much fun to watch.

Peter Fonda (The Truth)

The late, great Peter Fonda portrayed one of the wildest and most bizarre characters in Grand Theft Auto history when he took on the role of The Truth in San Andreas. A spiritual character who wasn’t shy of violence (or at least having CJ do his dirty work), the free-thinking and otherworldly ally was there for some of the game’s signature moments.

David Cross (Zero)

There’s a large portion of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas players who have never beaten all of Zero’s missions, so don’t even try to lie about it. Though most of us didn’t see his story to completion, the electronics expert and owner of Zero RC voiced by comedian David Cross is still beloved to this day. Just don’t ask us to beat the infamous “Supply Lines” level.

Remember that sad day back in 2023 on which is was reported that Warner Bros’ Coyote vs. Acme had been scrapped? It was definitely a gut-punch for Looney Tunes fans, to say the least. Thankfully, though, the situation turned around earlier this year when it was reported that the film had been acquired by another company. Now, the flick is set to hit the 2026 movie schedule! While CinemaBlend was in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, the first official batch of footage was revealed, and it featured John Cena as well as a sweet Bugs Bunny tease.

To put it simply, the Coyote vs. Acme footage looks amazing! As someone who was in the panel with the Hall H crowd, I have to say, Ketchup Entertainment really brought the hype for the new movie. During the event, they company showed us six minutes from the movie (marking the first time official footage had been released). Let's break it all down, shall we?

John Cena And Will Forte Bring The Comedy In Coyote vs. Acme Courtroom Scene

It’s wild to think about how Coyote vs. Acme didn’t have a clear fate at the beginning of this year. That thought is even wilder now that I've seen the new footage, because this looks like it could easily become a blockbuster. The first look I watched in Hall H featured a scene set in a courtroom, where Wile E. Coyote is attempting to sue the Acme Corporation for all the issues he’s dealt with over the years. Will Forte plays the character's lawyer, but he hasn’t been in court in decades and is super nervous.

The lawyer going up against him is played by John Cena, who shows up super confident in an amazing bolo tie and suit. Cena's character also woos the jury with his opening statement, during which he conveys why Acme is innocent in the situation. There’s a funny bit where Cena effortlessly commands the attention of the court by perfectly pouring a massive pitcher of water into a glass and downing the beverage, before Forte’s character tries to do the same thing and spills water everywhere.

Given this is a live-action/animation hybrid film, the trial crowd is a combination of human actors and Looney Tunes characters. It’s just fun to see this vision come to life after having heard about it over the last several years. In the past, Cena shared his disappointment over the film being scrapped and James Gunn even threw in his support. Needless to say, it's wonderful that this film will not only see the light of day but looks fantastic as well.

I Really Loved How Bugs Bunny Is Revealed To Be In The Movie

As great as the courtroom "drama" is, there's another bit of this footage that really works, and it's the reveal of Bugs Bunny. I'm particularly excited about how the footage teed up his role.

The first day in court doesn’t go as planned, as one of Acme’s products that Wile E. brings as “evidence” gets unleashed in the courtroom. The next scene cuts to Wile's stressed lawyer, who is watching the news' coverage of the trial, when he receives a phone call. It’s clearly the voice of Bugs Bunny, who contacts him to share that he has information that could really help him with the case. They plan a rendezvous when the clip ends,

Oh my goodness am I excited to see Bugs Bunny in this movie! Up until now, his involvement was unknown, so it's cool that he'll be involved in some capacity. While his presence has only been teased, it's possible that he could be playing some kind of "deep throat" role in this story, which would be hilarious.

Fans will have to try contain their excitement until Coyote vs. Acme hits theaters on August 26, 2026. In the meantime, grab an HBO Max subscription and stream great Looney Tunes content, including the film The Day the Earth Blew Up.

It seems pretty safe to say that few television casts are more famous despite changing on a regular basis than the cast of Saturday Night Live. The sketch series recently celebrated SNL50 with both the golden anniversary season on the 2025 TV schedule and a series of specials, which included a number of the biggest stars the comedy has produced over the years. One of those luminaries is Will Forte, and he recently opened up about the long and anxiety-filled wait he once had to find out if he’d return for another season on the hit.

What Did Will Forte Say About Waiting To Hear If He’d Return For More Saturday Night Live Back In The Day?

Obviously, Saturday Night Live cast members tend to have some things in common. They’re funny people who love to perform and bring laughs to the masses, sometimes they make a huge impact in less than five years on the show, and many also have surprising musical talent. But, we’ve been hearing a lot more about how a lot of them also shared quite a bit of anxiety about the gig that made them famous for one reason or another.

Will Forte is known for his decade on SNL from 2002 through 2012. He went on to bring one of his famous characters to life in the big screen film MacGruber, and star in shows like The Last Man on Earth and The Four Seasons, as well as movies such as Nebraska and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. He stopped by Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast recently, and as they reminisced about their days on the comedy hit, she asked Forte if he ever “relaxed” and felt “secure” while there, which led him to this anecdote about the time after his second season on SNL:

As you can probably guess, Forte (who gave a wildly inappropriate speech for Seth Meyers’ wedding) was one of the unfortunate cast members whose place on the show wasn’t immediately a given once the season ended. This is something that most actors on TV shows simply don’t go through, because if you’re a regular cast member and your show gets picked up for another season, you’ll be there with everyone else unless serious unforeseen circumstances intervene.

Getting a steady job on any television series that manages to be renewed yearly is already tough, but to know that you might be let go after each season adds another level of “oh shit” to what is already a crazy process. Questlove noted that everyone is always afraid of being called to Lorne Michaels’ office and Mike Myers said he’d “go into a depression” when his sketches got cut. Meanwhile, Andy Samberg has spoken about how stressful being on the “intense” show is, and Bill Hader has said that he was “a basket case” while starring on the series. Apparently, this time in Forte’s life didn’t get easier soon, as he added:

Can you imagine? You’re already afraid that you’re going to be fired, but at least the time is coming when you will finally find out their decision, and then they delay the reveal AGAIN?! Unfortunately, it seems that this was a stress-inducing life experience that the Kinda Pregnant actor had to go through, because it wasn’t over yet:

Honestly…what the absolute fuck? I think I may have quit out of stress/anger over being dicked around and not knowing for weeks whether or not I had a job. Luckily, Forte stuck with it, didn’t curse anyone out and was finally able to “relax” into his standing on the series by his seventh season.

Warning! The following contains SPOILERS for both The Four Seasons series and the original movie. Stream them with a Netflix subscription and read at your own risk!

From the moment I first watched The Four Seasons remake on Netflix, I knew that I wanted to check out Alan Alda's original movie. The series is one of the best shows on streaming, but I felt like I couldn't properly judge it until I saw just how much it took from the original and what it changed.

The Netflix show's cliffhanger ending that opened the door for Season 2 wasn't the only big change The Four Seasons show made from the original movie, and I have to say, I love the tweaks that were made. For those who haven't seen the movie, here are some key differences that really worked in the new version.

The New Series Combined The Old Jack And Danny Into One Person, Which Works Much Better

The original version of The Four Seasons featured widely different versions Jack and Danny, to the point it's hard to even compare them and the Netflix cersions. What's more apt to say is that the writers of the remake took the best of what's good in the original Jack, and the hypochondria of the original Danny, and folded it into the Jack we see played by Will Forte.

It's the perfect role for someone like Forte, who is criminally underrated in his ability to commit to a bit. I was initially surprised to see he was basically tasked with marrying the roles of two actors into one performance. However, I was not at all surprised to see he was able to make Jack still appear calm and unable to get a rise out of while still leaning into the fear that he's always dying of something when events are at their most stressful.

It adds to the dynamic of Jack and Kate's marriage, which is not really in question in the original movie. I much preferred seeing every couple struggle in their marriage in different ways, even if in reality, there might've been a couple who didn't have much going on in terms of drama compared to the others in their friend group. It makes for a more entertaining story and helped make Kate and Jack one of my favorite couples.

The New Danny And "Claude" Give Much-Needed Variety To The Couples

Combining the old Jack and Danny meant The Four Seasons remake needed to create a new Danny, and they picked the perfect, critically acclaimed actor for it. Colman Domingo was a great choice for the new Danny as a Black gay man. The original version of The Four Seasons came out in 1981, and while the opportunity was there, there was little to no diversity in the couples.

Of course, the other obvious change is that "Claude" replaced "Claudia" with Marco Calvani playing the Italian husband of Danny rather than than getting the Italian-American wife of Danny again, previously played by Rita Moreno. The difference between the two's personalities has some clear differences, with Claude bringing more of a foreign perspective to combat the American cast.

Had I watched the original version of The Four Seasons first, I don't think I would've noticed. After seeing the remake, however, it's apparent just how similar all the couples in the friend group of the original are, and that revamping Claude and Danny was necessary in order to keep the series from retreading the same ground in each storyline.

Anne Has More Support Of Her Friends In The New Version

Nick complains in The Four Seasons remake that Anne is a wet blanket who never wants to do anything, but he should've met the Anne in the original movie. While the former was addicted to farm games on her tablet, the other spent the prior two years photographing vegetables as a hobby. Additionally, it was all she talked about in her limited appearances in the movie, which made it a real bummer.

Anne has a much greater presence in The Four Seasons remake, in part due to her sneaking out to an adjacent resort and also due to her friends wanting to keep her included. The Anne of the original doesn't receive nearly as much support from her friends, who spend far more time with Nick and Ginny in comparison.

While Anne gets an arguably happier ending in the original movie with her own budding career compared to where Anne is at in the remake, Season 2 is going to give her a chance to continue her story. At least, I hope it will, but I don't think the show will let us down.

Killing Nick Was The Best Decision

I feel terrible admitting this, but after watching The Four Seasons movie, I have to say that the Netflix version made the right call in deciding to kill Nick off at the end. I feel a lot more sympathy for Nick in death than I do in life, as the movie doesn't really deliver the karmic justice he received in the form of a scathing play written by his daughter. The movie portrays him as a serial cheater, and he's rightfully called out for being selective in explaining to friends why his marriage to Anne didn't work out.

There's just more territory for the series to travel with Nick dead, and now that we know The Four Seasons will return for Season 2, I can't wait to see what's next for Ginny and Anne as they continue on with their lives. With him still in the picture, it just doesn't hit as hard, as evidenced by the movie of the same name.

I do think it's a shame that The Four Seasons Season 2 will have to push on without Nick, but I don't think it's impossible to work him into the story. I think the series could and should do a flashback episode that just shows us Nick and Ginny as a couple together since we didn't see a ton of that during the series. Specifically, I'd love to see their trip to Burning Man together, which is something the original movie would've never covered.

Both versions of The Four Seasons are currently available to stream on Netflix. While I prefer the series remake to the original movie, I think both are great to watch to see the difference between telling a story between two different eras of couples, and the similarities and differences between divorce at that time.

SPOILERS are ahead for The Four Seasons, now streaming with a Netflix subscription.

I think a lot of us have found the latest of the best shows to binge watch on Netflix: Tina Fey’s The Four Seasons miniseries! I devoured the comedy in just a couple of sittings, and I already want more. Following the ending, I need to talk about why I’m betting on a second season, and what I think it could be about.

The Four Seasons Ending Felt Like A Cliffhanger To Me

I was flabbergasted that the show killed off Steve Carell’s Nick, but the plot point allowed for the series to really end on an emotional note that empowered the friend group to appreciate what they have and not be so hard on his girlfriend, Ginny. In fact, there’s a sweet scene where Nick’s ex-wife Anne gets to bond with her and make amends. But the real jaw-dropper was when it was revealed that Ginny is pregnant with Nick’s baby.

Since the last moment of the show ends with Anne announcing the news before a quick fade to black, I can’t help but think the creators intended it to leave me wanting more in the first place. And, I did a little digging on what they had to say about a possible Season 2. As co-creator Tracey Wigfield told TV Insider:

So, they are already thinking about it, right? Tina Fey also said this:

You could definitely tell Fey, Will Forte, Colman Domingo and so forth were having a blast together, so why not do Season 2? But, I know what you’re wondering, what could it be about?

I Think The Ending Leaves Room For Season 2 To Explore A New Theme For The Friend Group

The Four Seasons wasn’t as close to The White Lotus as I thought, while we wait for Season 4 (but I also didn’t know it was based on one of the movies from the 80s), and we knew it wouldn’t be an anthology, but i do think it could pull a little something from that series. This season of the show I felt was really focused on romantic relationships, and how they can really shift with time. As Nick and Anne’s relationship falls apart, the other two couples are really tested regarding their own partnerships, and there’s a running discussion around “working” at a marriage.

I think since Ginny being pregnant is the big reveal in the ending, the next batch of four seasons between the friend group could focus on their relationship with parenthood and kids. Ginny will be getting ready to be a mom for the first time, while Anne will be continuing to parent her daughter now as a single mother. Then there’s Jack and Kate, who have a daughter as well, who didn’t play a role in the first season, and Danny and Claude, who specifically discussed being happy they don’t have kids so far. I could see Ginny getting pregnant being a real fire starter for these parenting conversations to be discussed, and it would, of course, put them in more funny situations.

We'll be on the lookout for info on a potential second season. Until then check out what other 2025 Netflix releases are on the way.

This week, April comes to an end, and May gets started. While this likely means temperatures are going up and people are looking to spend a little less time in front of the television, your favorite streaming services are certainly going their best to keep us on the couch.

From brand new films to classic franchises, the movie content coming in May is solid. We will, of course, get three new episodes of Andor this week, but that’s not the end of the Star Wars goodness, as there’s also some excellent new Star Wars content for May the Fourth. Here’s a look at what’s hitting streaming this week.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - May 1 (Disney+)

Spider-Man is the one Marvel character the studio still doesn’t completely own the movie rights to, but thanks to a deal with Sony, most of the live-action Spidey movies can now be found on Disney+. Starting May 1, the Spider-Verse grows even larger with the animated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse makes the jump from Netflix to Disney+.

Another Simple Favor - May 1 (Prime Video)

A Simple Favor was one of those simple, character-driven dramas that occasionally surprises with its level of success. Despite a solid box office return, the sequel, which will see both Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick return, will only be available with a Prime Video subscription.

The Four Seasons - May 1 (Netflix)

In The Four Seasons, three couples who vacation together go through major life changes over the course of one year. Based on the hit 1981 film written, directed, and starring Alan Alda, this adaptation reimagined for Netflix the story as a limited series and boasts an incredible cast including Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, and Will Forte.

Ocean's Franchise - May 1 (Netflix)

With reports that George Clooney and Brad Pitt may be looking to get the team back together for another Oceans 11 sequel, now may be a great time to revisit the original series. All three previous Oceans movies hit Netflix this week.

Black Bag - May 2 (Peacock)

Based on Black Bag's meager box office take, you probably didn't see it. But based on Black Bag's reviews, this spy thriller starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett from the incomparable Steven Soderbergh is a movie you absolutely should see. If you've got a Peacock subscription, you can do exactly that this week.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge & Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance | Disneyland® Resort - May 4 (Disney+)

May the Fourth is celebrated as Star Wars Day, and Disney+ usually adds something from the franchise as a way to celebrate. This year, we’ll get the animated Star Wars: Tales From the Underworld, but far more interestingly, this week, a Disney+ subscription will get you a virtual walk-through video of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland, as well as a full ride-through of the incredible Rise of the Resistance attraction. One can only hope this will be the first of a new breed of Disney Parks content on Disney+ that will let us experience rides when we're not in the parks.

Conan O'Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor - May 4 (Netflix)

Conan O’Brien stole the show at the Oscars this year, and his performance as host was so popular he’s already set to return next year. It’s as good a time as any for Conan O’Brien to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the Kennedy Center. You’ll be able to watch the whole show with your Netflix subscription.

Next week, two popular series return. Fans of Conan O'Brien will get even more of him when his travel show Conan O'Brien Must Go returns, and the long wait for Season 2 of Natasha Lyonne's Poker Face finally comes to an end.

There are a lot of things to love about the Saturday Night Live reunion specials, but I think my favorite random little one might be the A-list audience. Most SNL episodes are full of randoms absolutely stoked to be there, but SNL 40 and last night’s SNL 50 have crowds full of former hosts, massive stars and ex-cast members. It makes the crowd interaction bits that much more fun, as we saw last night with a Q&A segment, numerous audience cut-tos and my favorite, a ridiculous Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte song that trapped Jenna Ortega and Kevin Costner in the middle.

I have absolutely no idea if Ortega and Costner were in on the bit. People on social media were just as confused as I was, but watching the two Hollywood stars being bumped into and pushed together by Sudeikis and Forte, who were dressed up Times Square favorites a pimp and a cartoon character, was something else. Check out this madness below, which was part of a John Mulaney tribe to New York City musical sketch…

This clip is barely twenty seconds long, and it’s overflowing with things to discuss. Let’s just run some of them down real quick. 1) I love Jenna Ortega’s face when her personal space first starts to get invaded. She calmly moves her shoulders and head more to the center, thinking she solved the problem and having absolutely no idea Sudeikis is just gonna eat that space up like they’re playing Risk. 2) I love Kevin Costner calmly putting on his glasses like he doesn’t have a care in the world. There’s no rush or hurry. It’s like he needs to get them out to do a crossword puzzle on a lazy weekend morning.

3) I love Jason Sudeikis literally hitting Jenna in the face with the back of his hand. It’s like he decided to just take the bit as far as possible and literally push her face. He doesn’t do it hard, but it’s just flagrantly disrespectful and leads to some more fantastic facial reactions. 4) I love the various celebrity reactions you can see around them. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is just eating up every second of this sketch. Chris Rock is watching with his arms folded like a judgmental former cast member, wondering where the bit is going. Woody Harrelson and Jason Momoa look weirded out in a bemused way, which feels on brand.

You could go on and on. I’ve watched the clip like 10 times, and I’ve found new things to make me smile every single time. Fortunately, you could say the same thing about much of the rest of the night. SNL 50 was slammed with absolute legends of the sketch comedy game and Hollywood royalty having the best time. Some of them crushed their bits. Others flubbed lines in amusing ways, and some looked uncomfortable as they were crushed between Sudeikis and Forte who were so committed to the bit they didn’t even seem to notice.

SNL hasn't announced any of its upcoming hosts yet, but it'll return on March 1st with a regular episode. Fingers crossed they'll just keep rolling with all the fun cameos by former stars the rest of the season though.

There have been all kinds of different eras throughout WWE’s history. The New Generation, the Attitude Era, the Ruthless Aggression phase, the PG-TV days, and others quickly come to mind. But one that is thankfully mostly forgotten these days is the WWE Raw Celebrity Host era between 2009 and 2014. Celebrity involvement in WWE has always been a thing going back to WrestleMania 1, but the company went overboard over a decade ago, and so many random names hosted or appeared on the flagship show.

Here are 32 random celebrities who hosted Monday Night Raw…

Bob Barker - September 7, 2009

In addition to being one of the best game show hosts of all time, the late Bob Barker was also one of the most unforgettable Raw hosts. Appearing on a September 2009 episode, the The Price is Right legend held a WWE-themed version of the show, which included an appearance from the villainous Irwin R. Schyster.

William Shatner - February 1, 2010

William Shatner has had multiple appearances on Raw over the years (his 1995 run-in with Jerry “The King” Lawler is hilarious), so it only made sense for the Star Trek icon to host WWE’s flagship show in February 2010. Captain Kirk singing WWE superstars’ entrance themes was not what anyone expected, but it was still wild and low-key great.

Pee-Wee Herman - November 1, 2010

Pee-Wee Herman, aka the late Paul Reubens, hosted Monday Night Raw back in November 2010 when the weekly show was broadcast from the iconic Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York. Herman had some great run-ins throughout the night and was even paired up with Big Show, who was dressed up like the beloved character.

Jeremy Piven - August 3, 2009

If you’ve watched any WWE clip shows over the years, you have more than likely seen the infamous “SummerFest” promo from Jeremy Piven. Appearing on Raw to promote The Goods in August 2009, the Entourage star flubbed and gave WWE’s SummerSlam an unintentional new name on live TV.

Jerry Springer - February 15, 2010

Jerry Springer and WWE go hand-in-hand, so it was only a matter of time before the late TV show host popped up on Monday Night Raw. In February 2010, the former mayor of Cincinnati showed up to host the weekly wrestling show where he added some of the gimmicks from the long-running Jerry Springer show.

Betty White - February 10, 2014

Betty White did a lot in her nearly 100 years on this planet, including hosting Monday Night Raw in February 2014. Though the Golden Girls star didn’t clothesline anyone or compete in the Elimination Chamber, she did have some great moments on the mic in various promo segments.

Seth Green - July 13, 2009

Seth Green was one of the first Monday Night Raw celebrity hosts. But the Robot Chicken co-creator did more than just talk, as he got himself involved in a six-man tag main event in which he teamed up with John Cena and Triple H where they defeated Legacy.

Hugh Jackman - September 19, 2011

Hugh Jackman has been on Raw a couple of times over the years, with the better of the two being his time on the show promoting Real Steel in September 2011. Near the end of the match, Wolverine got in on the action and clocked United States Champion Dolph Ziggler in the jaw, helping Zack Ryder win a non-title match. That punch was just so great!

Arnold Schwarzenegger And Joe Manganiello - March 24, 2014

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Joe Manganiello showed up on Monday Night Raw in March 2014 to promote their action flick, Sabotage. But while doing so, the pair of actors also got physical with The Miz, who tried to crash their in-ring promo with Hulk Hogan.

Shaquille O’Neal - July 27, 2009

Shaquille O’Neal famously showed up in the 3rd Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32, but that wasn’t his first time in WWE. Back in 2009, when he was still playing basketball, Shaq appeared on Raw and had a hilarious interaction with Chris Jericho. Seriously, Y2J looks like a child next to the Pro Basketball Hall of Famer.

The Muppets - October 31, 2011

The Muppets and WWE are two things you probably never thought you’d see together. Well, that happened in October 2011 when beloved characters like Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Beaker (his run-in with Sheamus is hilarious) all showed up on the Raw Supershow.

David Hasselhoff - April 12, 2010

A couple of weeks after WrestleMania 26, David Hasselhoff showed up on Monday Night Raw recorded from London’s O2 Arena. The special guest host entered the ring to one of his own songs, danced around with some ladies, and then kicked off the night’s festivities. It was wild, it was random, and it was just something to see.

The Hot Tube Time Machine Cast - March 29, 2010

Around the release of Hot Tub Time Machine, Rob Corddry and Clark Duke served as the guest hosts of Monday Night Raw. Much like the movie itself, this appearance is largely forgotten by most. However, there was an incredibly awkward hot tub segment that was saved by Mark Henry and Hornswoggle.

Pete Rose - March 22, 2010

Pete Rose had some unfortunate run-ins with Kane back during the height of the Attitude Era (the Big Red Machine put a beating on the Hit King at WrestleMania 14 and 15), and history repeated itself when the notorious baseball player hosted Raw in March 2010. The man was shook when an unmasked Kane confronted him backstage.

Cyndi Lauper - June 18, 2012

Cyndi Lauper, who famously sang “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” has long been connected with WWE, having appeared during the inaugural WrestleMania. So, it only seemed natural for her to show up and have some fun on Raw in June 2012 when she helped put a beating on Heath Slater, who was in the middle of a run in which he got destroyed by all kinds of returning stars.

Kevin Hart - June 16, 2014

Kevin Hart, who was in the middle of his unprecedented rise to the top of the pop culture mountain, appeared on Monday Night Raw in June 2014. He made jokes, he got in the ring, and he hung out with Adam Rose and his Rosebuds. It was a strange time in WWE, and this was one of the wildest moments of that summer.

Ashton Kutcher - May 31, 2010

Ashton Kutcher showing up on Raw is so random, but again, this was WWE in May 2010. It was a weird transitional period where the company was trying anything and willing to throw anything at the wall to see if it stuck.

Mike Tyson - January 11, 2010

A little over a decade after showing up and making WrestleMania 14 one of the biggest nights in wrestling history, Mike Tyson hosted a January 2010 episode of Monday Night Raw where he did everything from intimidate wrestlers to hang out with Hornswoggle. The image of the notorious boxer hanging out backstage surrounded by Fight Night Round 4 posters and games was a sight to see.

Flavor Flav - May 10, 2010

If you thought Flavor Flav giving a weather report on the Salt Lake City news was something, wait until you hear about his May 2010 appearance on Monday Night Raw. During the Public Enemy rapper’s one-night stint on the show, he joked, he rapped, and he worked with R-Truth. Can we get him to come back and team up with Truth again? Please?

Freddie Prinze Jr. - August 17, 2009

Freddie Prinze Jr. showing on Monday Night Raw isn’t the most random thing, considering the I Know What You Did Last Summer and She’s All That star was a longtime writer for WWE’s creative team. The man knows wrestling and knows how to have a laugh at his own expense, as was shown in a segment on an August 2009 episode where Santino Marella approaches Prinze with an idea for a new chapter in his slasher series.

Jon Lovitz - May 24, 2010

Jay Sherman from The Critic would probably say “It stinks!” when talking about WWE’s celebrity host era, but Jon Lovitz, who voiced the character, seemed to have a lot of fun when he hosted Raw in May 2010. Did he look like a fish out of water? Sure,

Jon Heder And Don Johnson - January 18, 2010

Did you know Jon Heder and Don Johnson made a movie together? Well, it’s true. Back in January 2018, the Napoleon Dynamite star and Miami Vice legend shared the screen in When in Rome led by Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel. On top of that, the two co-hosted Raw where they formed a short-lived (one-night) tag team.

Larry King - October 8, 2012

Legendary talk show host Larry King died in January 2021, leaving behind memories of some of the best interviews in the history of radio and TV. But did you know that King appeared on an October 2012 episode of Monday Night Raw where he gave fans a new spin on his classic format? Well, it happened, and it involved The Miz getting all heated when pressed by King. Sadly, King didn’t choke him out, but it was fun to watch.

The Three Stooges - April 9, 2012

The Three Stooges, or the versions played by Will Sasso, Sean Hayes, and Chris Diamantopoulos in the 2012 comedy inspired by the classic comedy trio, showed up on Monday Night Raw to promote the Farrelly Brothers movie. The saving grace of the whole appearance was Sasso coming out dressed as Hulk Hogan. It was incredible and you could tell the MadTV star was genuinely having fun out in the ring.

Aaron Paul - March 3, 2014

When making his rounds on the promotional circuit for Need for Speed in March 2014, Breaking Bad alum Aaron Paul showed up and hosted Monday Night Raw. This was one of the final guest host spots, and it’s one that’s pretty forgettable more than a decade later.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. - August 24, 2009

A year and a few months after defeating Big Show at WrestleMania 24, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. showed up on Monday Night Raw in August 2009. During the appearance, Mayweather had a confrontation with Big Show and Chris Jericho (Jeri-Show) and eventually stood in the corner of Mark Henry and MVP in a tag match later that night.

The MacGruber Cast - April 19, 2010

Will Forte and Kristen Wiig popped up on Monday Night Raw in April 2010 to promote MacGruber, but they didn’t come as themselves. Instead, the SNL alum came in character, which resulted in some hilarious run-ins with WWE superstars, several of whom showed up in the satirical action comedy.

Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi - March 14, 2011

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, best known for her time on Jersey Shore, had a little WrestleMania run back in 2011, which included a spot on Monday Night Raw. A few weeks later, the TV star would pull off the impossible and get a win at the “Showcase of the Immortals.”

Mark Cuban - December 7, 2009

Mark Cuban knows a thing or two about tense situations, though none of his work on Shark Tank could have prepared him for what happened when he hosted Raw in December 2009. After moderating a segment involving Sheamus and John Cena prior to their TLC match, the Celtic Warrior slammed Cuban through a table propped up in the corner.

Dennis Miller - December 14, 2009

Dennis Miller showed up for the 2009 Slammy Awards on Monday Night Raw and spent the better part of his time making political jokes and providing commentary on WWE superstars with some so-bad-it’s-good Photoshop skills. People chuckled but quickly forgot the segment.

Johnny Knoxville - October 4, 2010

Long before Johnny Knoxville defeated Sami Zayn in one of the most chaotic matches on the WrestleMania 38 card, the stuntman-turned-Hollywood star hosted an October 2010 episode of Monday Night Raw. Taking place days before the release of Jackass 3D, Knoxville pulled out some hilarious pranks, with Ted Dibiase Jr. on the receiving end of the torment.

Ozzy And Sharon Osbourne - November 2, 2009

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne were inescapable in the 2000s, so it was only natural for the pair to host an episode of Monday Night Raw in November 2009. Their Raw’s Got Talent segment is without a doubt one of the worst things to ever happen on Raw, which is saying something.

The best Saturday Night Live stars made an impact on the classic sketch comedy series, not just because of their ability to be funny but, more importantly, their ability to act. These comedy icons would go on to prove their versatility by challenging themselves in more serious roles on both the big and small screen, going on to earn widespread praise for their craft. Here, we show our appreciation for these dramatic performances by very funny people, including some that earned these SNL stars Oscar nominations.

Kristen Wiig (The Skeleton Twins)

This one technically counts as a twofer because the eponymous siblings in the 2014 twin movie, The Skeleton Twins, are played by SNL veterans Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. Wiig has never given a more absorbing performance than in this movie that gets honest about mental illness as Maggie Dean, who is forced to put her own mental health struggles at bay to care for her gay, suicidal brother, Milo.

Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)

Robert Downey Jr. is already better known for his dramatic roles (and playing Iron Man in the Marvel movies) than his brief SNL stint. However, many agree that his career best so far is his portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's Best Picture Oscar winner, 2023's Oppenheimer, which was his third Academy Award-nominated performance and the first to earn him the gold.

Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Laurie Metcalf is one of the better examples of an actor with a largely forgotten SNL stint, considering she only made a couple of appearances on the show during Season 6. She is far better known for playing Jackie on Roseanne and The Conners and for her heartbreaking, Oscar-nominated performance in Greta Gerwig's acclaimed 2017 dramedy, Lady Bird, as the mother of the angsty titular role.

Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction)

Director Marc Forster’s 2006 film, Stranger Than Fiction, is still, essentially, a comedy but an undeniably dark one, as it follows an IRS agent named Harold Crick, who can hear the author of his life story foretelling his impending death. The role was one of the first to prove that a goofy actor like Will Ferrell had dramatic chops and his tender performance, one of the strongest of his career, would earn him a Golden Globe nomination.

Will Forte (Nebraska)

Perhaps the best thing outside of SNL to star Will Forte (in addition to the MacGruber movie and his prematurely canceled TV show The Last Man on Earth) is director Alexander Payne's Nebraska. The comedian shows a new rare side of himself in the Oscar-nominated 2013 as a David Grant, who agrees to travel cross-country with his estranged father, Woody (Bruce Dern), to claim a potentially non-existent prize of $1 million.

Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)

While Eddie Murphy scored a radio hit in 1985 with "Party All the Time," the moment that truly convinced the world that he was a musically talented SNL star was his performance in Dreamgirls. He received an Academy Award nomination for playing troubled R&B singer, James “Thunder” Early in the acclaimed 2006 musical.

Abby Elliott (The Bear)

Creator Christopher Storer's acclaimed FX original, The Bear, is often billed as a comedy, especially around awards season. However, real fans of the culinary series know that it is truly one of the most emotionally grasping shows of its time and Abby Elliott (daughter of fellow SNL vet Chris Elliott) has contributed to some of its strongest moments as Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto.

Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)

While he is still beloved for comedies like Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, both critics and audiences agree that one of Adam Sandler's best movies is the intense 2019 thriller Uncut Gems. Many believed he deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance in the acclaimed A24 movie from Josh and Benny Safdie as self-destructive Manhattan jeweler Howard Rattner.

Sarah Silverman (I Smile Back)

It was not until years after her one-season stint on SNL that Sarah Silverman became one of the biggest names in comedy with her sharp stand-up and roles in popular funny movies. However, she had never received wider and stronger critical acclaim before playing vastly against type in the 2015 drama I Smile Back as a troubled woman struggling to hide her depression and self-destructive tendencies from her husband and young children.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

Many would call Bill Murray (who was part of SNL's Not Ready for Primetime Players) losing Best Actor for one of the best movies of the 2000s, Lost in Translation, at the 2004 Academy Awards one of the biggest Oscar blunders in history. His performance in writer and director Sofia Coppola’s sophomore effort as a lonely veteran actor striking up an unlikely bond with a young woman (played by Scarlett Johansson) in Tokyo is a masterclass in raw honesty and charm.

Chris Rock (Fargo)

No one was more surprised to see Noah Hawley offer Chris Rock one of the lead roles in the fourth season of his hit anthology TV show, Fargo, than the former SNL star himself. Rock – who went on to play a cop in a Saw movie called Spiral and starred in the Oscar-nominated biopic, Rustin – really turned heads with his commanding performance as Loy Cannon, who leads his 1950s-ear, Kansas City crime family with an iron fist.

Bill Hader (Barry)

When he created Barry with Alec Berg, Bill Hader knew people would think the idea of him playing a contract killer who falls in love with acting is pretty funny. That must have motivated the former SNL favorite to prove that he could bring himself to some disturbingly bleak places with his two-time Emmy-winning performance in the title role of the hit HBO series.

Kate McKinnon (Bombshell)

We genuinely believe that one of the most essential reasons why Bombshell is one of Kate McKinnon's best movies is the dynamic SNL star's performance. Her role as Fox News employee Jess Carr – a composite character based on real people involved with the real-life events that inspired the 2019 docudrama – could be written off as comic relief but she does show some real gravitas in its more somber moments.

Dan Aykroyd (Driving Miss Daisy)

Some of Dan Aykroyd's most notable cinematic efforts are actually movies based on SNL characters, namely The Blues Brothers and Coneheads. However, he would earn praise and an Academy Award nomination for his moving turn as Boolie Werthan in 1989’s beloved period drama, Driving Miss Daisy.

Andy Samberg (Lee)

When appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Andy Samberg acknowledged that a movie like Lee – the 2024 biopic about World War II photographer Lee Miller, played by Kate Winslet – is unlike anything the Lonely Island member has done before. However, not only is the SNL vet a dead ringer for Miller's colleague, David Scherman, but he excels in his emotionally heavy portrayal of the man.

Maya Rudolph (Away We Go)

Director Sam Mendes' Away We Go is a sweet, tender-hearted dramedy about a couple (played by John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph) traveling the country in search of a worthy home for their soon-to-be-born child. Carrying most of the emotional weight in the film is Rudolph, resulting in one of her most wonderfully down-to-earth performances from one of SNL's goofiest female performers.

Molly Shannon (A Good Person)

Writer and director Zach Braff's A Good Person – following a young woman (played by Florence Pugh) and her post-accident road to recovery with help from her would-be father-in-law (played by Morgan Freeman) – is led to by heavy-hitting Oscar darlings. Yet, some say the heart and soul of the 2023 dramedy is Molly Shannon's performance as the mother of Pugh's character, for which she gives her most acclaimed, heartfelt dramatic performance yet.

Jay Pharoah (Unsane)

Jay Pharoah only departed from SNL a couple of years breaking into dramatic acting with director Steven Soderbergh's Unsane. The comedian and talented impressionist is electrifying in the mind-bending psychological thriller as a mental hospital patient who befriends Sawyer (Claire Foy), who claims she has been admitted against her will.

Jenny Slate (Obvious Child)

Arguably the most memorable moment from Jenny Slate's one-season SNL stint is when she accidentally dropped the F-bomb during her first show (which she confirmed had nothing to do with her exit, by the way). Years after her time at Studio 8H, the comedian amazed critics with her beautiful and heartbreaking performance in the 2014 romantic dramedy Obvious Child, in which she plays a stand-up comic dealing with an unplanned pregnancy.

Casey Wilson (Gone Girl)

Some might say that a sign of a great actor is the ability to convey all that an audience needs to know just in one's silent expressions. For proof, see Casey Wilson's performance as Amy Dunne's "friend" Noelle Hawthorne in David Fincher's Gone Girl, in which you rarely, if ever, hear her speak but are thoroughly captivated by her body language.

Anthony Michael Hall (The Dead Zone)

In 1984, the same year that Anthony Michael Hall became a teen idol with roles in hilarious, high school movies The Breakfast Club and Weird Science, he became the youngest SNL cast member, coming on at just 17 years old. Years later, he fully reinvented himself as a serious actor as the star of USA's series adaptation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone, in which he plays a man who wakes from a coma with the ability to see the future.

Christopher Guest (The Long Riders)

Christopher Guest joined the SNL cast in 1984, around the same time his career as the most trusted mockumentarian began as one of the writers and stars of This is Spinal Tap. He had shown Hollywood his more serious side years earlier by starring in The Long Riders – a fact-based Western noted for casting real-life siblings as real-life outlaw siblings, such as Guest and his brother, Nicholas, as Charley and Robert Ford.

Jane Curtin (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)

After SNL, Jane Curtin went on to play many great comedic roles – such as her two-time Emmy-winning role on Kate & Allie and an acclaimed stint on 3rd Rock from the Sun – but did not have quite many opportunities to show her more serious side. That would change in 2018 when the one-time "Weekend Update" anchor starred in the biopic Can You Ever Forgive Me? as Marjorie, who works as the agent for author Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy).

Michael McKean (Better Call Saul)

Interestingly, Michael McKean was already an established comedy actor and had even hosted SNL before he joined as a cast member in the early 1990s. However, his reputation as a dramatic actor was never fully realized before his Emmy-nominated turn on Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad prequel series Better Call Saul as Chuck, the delusional older brother of Jimmy McGill (former SNL writer Bob Odenkirk).

Joan Cusack (Arlington Road)

Joan Cusack became the first SNL star to earn two Academy Award nominations but both were for comedic roles, namely from 1988's Working Girl and In & Out from 1997. One might argue she deserved similar recognition for her work in 1999's Arlington Road as Cheryl Lang, who, along with her husband (played by Tim Robbins), is suspected of domestic terrorism by their neighbor, a professor (played by Jeff Bridges).

Billy Crystal (Before)

With the exception of, perhaps, the tearjerker ending of When Harry Met Sally..., it is hard to imagine Billy Crystal in a role that doesn't require him to be his signature goofy self. Thus, the comedic genius shocked audiences when he served as the star and showrunner of Apple TV+'s dark thriller Before, in which he plays a widowed child psychiatrist whose newest patient exhibits signs of psychopathy.

Janeane Garofalo (Cop Land)

Janeane Garofalo's time at SNL is largely forgotten but, luckily, did not affect her reputation as one of the smartest and most dynamic comedic actors in the 1990s. She further proved her versatility in 1997 as Deputy Sheriff Cindy Betts in James Mangold's acclaimed crime thriller, Cop Land.

Chevy Chase (Law & Order)

Chevy Chase's bread and butter on and off SNL was playing smarmy jerks. However, he really upped the ante in 2006 for his guest star appearance on Law & Order as an anti-Semitic murder suspect.

Tina Fey (A Haunting In Venice)

In addition to being the Agatha Christie surrogate in Kenneth Branagh's third Agatha Christie adaptation, you could call Tina Fey's clever writer Ariadne Oliver the comic relief of A Haunting in Venice. However, the former SNL star and one-time head writer plays the role in the 2023 mystery thriller with an earnestness that is perfectly suitable for its story and tone.

Jim Belushi (The Principal)

Jim Belushi's stint at SNL was unavoidably a constant source of comparison to his older brother, John Belushi. Luckily, he went on to have a relatively successful run with more dramatic roles, such as a man who takes a job at an anarchic high school in 1987's The Principal.

Rob Riggle (12 Strong)

Rob Riggle's brief time at SNL led to a stint on The Daily Show and scene-stealing turns in comedies like Stepbrothers and 21 Jump Street but his best role might be from 2018's 12 Strong. As he told Stephen Colbert on Late Show, he was uniquely qualified to star in the fact-based military drama, not only because he is a former U.S. Marine but because the person he is portraying, Lt. Colonel Bowers, is his actual former boss.

Randy Quaid (The Last Detail)

One of the few people to become an Academy Award nominee before becoming an SNL cast member is Randy Quaid. He earned the honor from his performance in 1973's The Last Detail as a dishonorable discharged Naval officer who is shown one last good time by his superiors (played by Jack Nicholson and Otis Young) before facing jail time.

It’s been eleven years since Seth Meyers married Alexi Ashe. The gorgeous wedding was widely covered by the press at the time, but more than a decade later, it’s one of the speeches that people are still talking about. Comedian Will Forte stood up during the rehearsal dinner and fired off a six minute toast as Hamilton Whiteman, an obscure SNL character that’s “a neo-Nazi basically.” By all accounts, it went over well with some in the audience and not so well with others.

Among those it went over very well with were Ted Danson and Bill Hader. The two could not stop laughing as they reminisced about the speech on the Cheers star’s podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name. Danson said the bride’s family was “not amused” and Hader said he was laughing so hard you can hear him in the background of the wedding video losing his mind. Here’s a portion of Hader’s thoughts below…

A video clip of Danson and Hader talking about the speech has been widely shared on social media recently, but it’s not the only time the speech has been talked about in public. Meyers once had Forte on Late Night With Seth Meyers to talk about it, and they even showed a clip from the speech, which Meyers said was the only thirty seconds appropriate to air on network television.

Fortunately, Meyers was clearly amused by the whole thing, as there’s probably some expectation you’re gonna get weirdness if you invite Will Forte to your wedding. You can watch a clip of the two of them talking about it, as well as those thirty seconds from the actual wedding below…

The speech came up on the podcast because Danson and Hader were initially having a more general conversation about Forte. More specifically, they were talking about how he always wanted to do work that he liked and was more concerned about doing things that he considered good versus things the audience liked. Hader said it was a great lesson to see someone not be worried about outcome and instead focus on the process and what they were trying to say.

That really tracks with Forte, whose outrageous personal life stories and work tend to cover unusual ground. Something like MacGruber, especially the movie and TV show, were never going to hit with a wide audience (which is probably why Pepsi was hesitant to partner). The humor is really specific and creatively daring, and there’s nothing about it designed for broad appeal. You could say the same about a lot of Forte’s sketches on SNL too like say, Jeff Montgomery, a local man dressed as a sex offender on Halloween who may or may not actually be a sex offender or Tim Calhoun, a political candidate who gives speeches in an awkward tone of voice and with over the top political mannerisms.

Fortunately, there are plenty of fans out there who really get what Forte is trying to do and appreciate his humor, and there are also plenty of his fellow comedians who are on the same wavelength. After Forte’s big speech at the wedding, he was approached by his SNL co-star Andy Samberg who asked him to give a toast in character at his wedding too. Fingers crossed we get more info on what happened there someday.

Even though we’re well past the Halloween season, spooky stories are always welcome around these parts, especially when hilarious celebrities are involved. In this instance, we’re talking about Saturday Night Live vet and MacGruber star Will Forte, who shared a bonkers story about having a Ouija Board experience as a teenager that predicted he’d get stabbed to death as an older man. Yikes…

With Ouija Boards getting highlighted in Agatha All Along recently, I guess the spirit world was primed for more headline attention in the form of Forte’s appearance on fellow SNL alum Rachel Dratch’s podcast Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch. In the midst of talking about past road trips and other memories, the actor started his prophecy-focused anecdote, saying he was 16 or 17 years old when he visited a girl he was interested in who was friends with a self-proclaimed witch who’d brought a Ouija Board over.

Forte says they initially asked random questions to the spirits of the board without much faith, but said he was a bit shocked whenever the spirits seemed to know his grandmother’s middle name. For clarity, he did say he was suspicious about unconsciously guiding the planchette with his own hands, but didn’t think that was the case. Still, the Nebraska star said he wasn’t taking it very seriously in the moment, and went against the others’ advice by trolling the “spirit” they were talking to.

While it doesn’t seem as if the teenagers were dealing with any specters that reached a Ouija: Origin of Evil level of terror — Forte himself brought up the 1986 horror Witchboard as a comparison — whatever they were talking to followed up on the actor’s insults by predicting his certain doom…decades later. As he put it:

Already, Rachel Dratch and co-host Irene Bremis were shocked and mildly freaked out by Will Forte being so brazen and caution-free with his spirit world shenanigans, and shared similar reactions to that doom-saying prediction. Granted, it was basically surmised that the cause of death was so extreme, as opposed to some kind of intestinal cancer, because it was almost definitely one of the teen’s brains that conceived the idea to begin with.

When asked if he ever still thinks about that prediction in any kind of a serious manner, Forte answered with:

If there's a point 18 years from now when Will Forte signs on to start in the movie Kevlar Kowboys or some silly shit like that, then we'll know the reason why.

When it comes to projects that are actually happening, Will Forte is currently filming the star-studded new TV show The Four Seasons, based on the 1981 film of the same name, with wildly talented co-stars such as fellow SNL alum Tina Fey, Colman Domingo, Kerry Kinney, and Steve Carrell. That show will be available to stream with a Netflix subscription at some point during the 2025 TV schedule or beyond.

Here's hoping Forte makes a return to Saturday Night Live for its milestone season, even if he's not one of the Season 50 guest hosts or musical acts.

While it’s well-documented that being on Saturday Night Live can really take a toll on its cast members, it also seems like it would be a blast. Just look at the comedic talent that oozes from that stage. Many of SNL’s alumni have shared stories about the grueling workload and how it was balanced with plenty of fun — apparently sometimes too much fun. Kenan Thompson recalled one specific instance where he partied all night with Amy Poehler and Will Forte before they had to film a sketch, and the hangover sounds brutally painful.

Kenan Thompson — SNL’s longest-tenured cast member — said in a recent segment of Late Night with Seth Meyers that they really “used to go after it” with the partying and recalled a particularly infamous night out drinking with now-former cast members Will Forte and Amy Poehler. The Good Burger 2 star and his colleagues didn’t leave the bar until 4:30 a.m., he said, just an hour before a car picked him up to shoot a sketch. Check out what Thompson had to say: 

I am dying over Amy Poehler’s alleged sentiment about how they could be miserable and sad but still always laughing. As for Kenan Thompson in that Black Eyed Peas sketch, I can imagine few things more miserable than having to put on a heavy costume and dance around in the street after a night of drinking and no sleep. Thompson recalled: 

If misery loves company, Kenan Thompson had plenty of it that day, as Will Forte couldn’t hide the effects of his hangover when the cameras weren’t rolling. Thompson continued: 

It sounds like there were some regrets to be had that morning, but at least a great story came from it. Kenan Thompson’s got plenty of Saturday Night Live stories saved up — including his favorite afterparty memory, which involves Maya Rudolph. 

The sketch comedy is prepared to celebrate its 50th anniversary, and Kenan Thompson has been there for 22 of those seasons. That’s a feat that perplexes Andy Samberg — not just that the All That! alum has stayed with SNL for so long, but that he’s still killing it. Thompson’s such a pro, he somehow didn’t even break during Ryan Gosling’s viral Beavis and Butt-Head sketch from the most recent season.

These days Kenan Thompson might be listening more to Shoulda Kenan and not staying out drinking till the wee hours of the morning, but whether it’s him that shows up or Crazy Kenan, we’ll be excited to see him when Saturday Night Live returns to the 2024 TV schedule this fall. In the meantime, you can stream previous seasons on Peacock, one of the best subscription streaming services. 

How does a person go about becoming a comedy legend? Well, one good way to begin your journey is studying the art with the Los Angeles-based improv and sketch comedy troupe, The Groundlings, which has proven to be a breeding ground for many of the funniest people you have ever heard of, including quite a few Saturday Night Live cast members. Take a look at some of the most esteemed Groundlings alumni who went on to rule at Studio 8H or elsewhere.

Maya Rudolph

In an op-ed for Oprah.com, Maya Rudolph described The Groundlings as her “graduate school,” where she “ate, slept, and drank improv and sketch comedy” for four years, and even learned how to use her singing voice for comedic purposes. That skill would come in handy for her impersonations of musicians like Beyoncé and, arguably, the actor’s single funniest SNL sketch in which she takes far too long (and explores various vocal ranges) to sing the National Anthem at the World Series.

Paul Reubens

The world would have never been blessed with the iconic Pee-wee Herman if not for the Groundlings, which is where the late Paul Reubens first developed the fun-loving man-child in the 1970s. The character was actually a collaborative effort with future SNL star and fellow member Phil Hartman, who also worked with Reubens and others on the screenplay for 1985’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

Will Forte

Will Forte told Diablo magazine that, after feeling miserable at his job as a financial broker, he changed his career path by joining The Groundlings in the early 1990s. Around a decade later, he was invited to be on SNL, where he specialized in some really weird sketches like “Spelling Bee” and “Potato Chip.”

Melissa McCarthy

While never a cast member, Melissa McCarthy went on to become known as one of the best SNL hosts in the show’s history. The Academy Award nominee earned her sketch comedy chops while a part of the Groundlings, which is also where she developed the character she played in 2016’s The Boss.

Phil Hartman

In the same year SNL started, the late, great Phil Hartman was preparing for his own tenure on the series at The Groundlings. It was more than a decade later, in 1986, when he would finally become part of the cast, working the magic he learned taking classes with the troupe.

Lisa Kudrow

Years before playing Phoebe Buffay in the Friends cast made her a star, Lisa Kudrow was part of The Groundlings, studying improv under teacher Cynthia Szigeti. She was also part of a short-lived troupe called Unexpected Company with Conan O’Brien and was the only female member of the Transformer Comedy Troupe for a while. 

Ana Gasteyer

During her six years on SNL, Ana Gasteyer mastered multiple characters — such as Bobbie Mohan-Culp — and spot-on celebrity portrayals, from Martha Stewart to Celine Dion. The Happiest Season cast member developed her impeccable sense of humor while performing with The Groundlings.

Tim Matheson

Two-time Emmy nominee Tim Matheson is not thought of as a comedic actor these days but, lest we forget, one of his earlier major roles was Otter in National Lampoon’s Animal House. Before then, he was learning how to be a comedic actor by studying improv under The Groundlings.

Kristen Wiig

Many of Kristen Wiig’s funniest quotes originated from her time at Saturday Night Live. However, she spoke most of those lines while portraying characters that really date back to her time with The Groundlings, such as Target Lady and harsh movie critic, Aunt Linda.

Craig T. Nelson

Despite plenty of roles that are not much to laugh at — such as Steve Freeling in Poltergeist or Jack Mannion on The District — Craig T. Nelson can also put down “Emmy-winning sitcom star” on his resume for playing Hayden Fox on Coach. His comedic chops do make more sense when you learn that the Incredibles star actually would break into the business performing stand-up and became a Groundlings members in the troupe’s early days.

Will Ferrell

Improvisational comedy would become a staple of Will Ferrell’s post-SNL career, as many of the funniest lines from his most famous movies — including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby — are largely ad-libbed. The actor would develop this skill while performing with The Groundlings, which he joined in 1994 — only a year before being invited to audition for SNL producer Lorne Michaels.

Cassandra Peterson

You may know Cassandra Peterson better as Elvira, a character whom the actor would portray when presenting midnight movies on TV or in her own cult favorite movies. Peterson’s creation of the “mistress of the dark” originates from her time with The Groundlings, where she developed a “Valley Girl-esque” character who would later evolve into the “horror host” we all know and love.

Jon Lovitz

Most of the SNL characters that Jon Lovitz is most famous for — such as the self-obsessed Master Thespian and pathological liar Tommy Flanagan — actually never originated at Studio 8H. The actor and comedian first developed them when he was part of the Groundlings, which is also where he met his friend and collaborator, Phil Hartman.

Kathy Griffin

After seeing a live performance of The Groundlings, a then-19-year-old Kathy Griffin knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life. She went on to join the troupe in the early 1990s before pursuing stand-up and becoming a more prominent figure with appearances in movies like Pulp Fiction and her Emmy-winning reality show, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.

Laraine Newman

Being a part of the Not-Ready-For-Primetime Players in SNL’s infancy and portraying characters like Connie Conehead made Laraine Newman a comedy icon, but her prior background before hitting Studio 8H is particularly astonishing. After studying miming under Marcel Marceau in Paris in 1970, she became a founding member of The Groundlings when she moved to Los Angeles.

Jennifer Coolidge

Jennifer Coolidge’s road to becoming a renowned comedy icon has been a long one, having made her screen acting debut on Seinfeld in the early 1990s before playing “Stifler’s Mom” in the American Pie movies and winning two Emmy Awards for her role in HBO’s The White Lotus cast. At one point, she had the chance to perfect her skills as part of The Groundlings, whom she performed with for nearly a decade.

Chris Parnell

Before his memorable, eight-year tenure on SNL, Chris Parnell made his breakthrough into the business in the early ‘90s performing improv with The Groundlings for a number of years. These days, the actor is best recognized for his voice, which is also the voice of Cyril on Archer and Jerry on Rick and Morty.

Pat Morita

It may come as a surprise to some that, before his Academy Award-nominated role as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid movies made him an icon, Pat Morita got his start as a stand-up comedian. The L.A. native was even part of The Groundlings in the 1970s, around the time he landed his recurring role as Arnold on Happy Days.

Chris Kattan

Following in the footsteps of his father, Kip King, Chris Kattan became part of The Groundlings, which is how he met Will Ferrell and, with him, created the characters who came to be known as “the Butabi brothers” during their time there. Later, they both wound up at SNL where they introduced the dim-witting club-goers to the mainstream, earned their own SNL movie (A Night at the Roxbury), and the rest is history. 

Phil LaMarr

Phil LaMarr is best known for his brief role in Pulp Fiction, his extensive voice acting career, and for becoming an original cast member on the hit sketch comedy series, Mad TV, where he played characters like Jaq the UBS Guy. Early on, however, the actor was actually part of a few different comedy troupes, including The Groundlings and Second City.

Cheri Oteri

One of the most talented members of the SNL cast during the mid-to-late ‘90s was Cheri Oteri, who is probably best known as Spartan cheerleader, Arianna. She was given the opportunity to join the sketch comedy series while she was part of The Groundlings, with whom she is still known to perform on occasion.

Mikey Day

Performing improv with The Groundlings led Mikey Day to become an original regular cast member on Nick Cannon’s improv comedy show, Wild ’n Out, on MTV in 2005. By 2013 — having acted and written in several other projects — he became a valued member of the SNL cast and its writing staff, for which he, Bobby Moynihan, and Seidell created the sketch that introduced the world to David S. Pumpkins, as played by Tom Hanks.

Heidi Gardner

Missouri native Heidi Gardner was working as a hairstylist in L.A. when she attended a performance by The Groundlings and became inspired to pursue acting. After working her way up in the ranks at the troupe and landing voice acting gigs, she was hired on SNL in 2017 and quickly became known as one of the show’s most dynamic performers.

Michael McDonald

The MVP at Mad TV has to be Michael McDonald (not to be confused with the musician), whose early days in comedy included performing improv with The Groundlings. In fact — as he recalled on Comedy Central’s This Is Not Happening — Academy Award winner Faye Dunaway saw him at one of his shows with the troupe and enlisted his help in honing her comedy skills.

Julia Sweeney

Julia Sweeney’s most iconic contribution to Saturday Night Live is her role as a person of indeterminant gender known only as Pat. She would first invent the character — who later inspired a movie called It’s Pat in 1994 — while performing with the Groundlings, along with other famous characters of her own — including Mea Culpa.

Jim Rash

Jim Rash is one of the most accomplished comedy talents of his time, having stolen the show from his fellow Community cast members as Dean Craig Pelton and earned an Academy Award alongside his longtime writing partner Nat Faxon, for penning the screenplay for Alexander Payne’s 2011 adaptation of The Descendants. Rash actually first met Faxon while both of them were performing with The Groundlings in the early 2000s.

Taran Killam

Even before Taran Killam joined The Groundlings, he was already well-versed in show business — having made his acting debut in The Naked Gun 33-1/3: The Final Insult, becoming a major presence on Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show and even joining Mad TV for 2001-2002 season. In fact, it was not until two years after he was hired on SNL in 2010 that he officially retired from The Groundlings’ main company.

Wendi McLendon-Covey

Nearly a decade after joining The Groundlings in 2002, Wendi McLendon-Covey collaborated with fellow troupe veterans of Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Melissa McCarthy as part of the Bridesmaids cast in 2011. Just a couple of years later, the comedian would begin to earn raves for her leading role in the hit ABC sitcom, The Goldbergs.

Michaela Watkins

Despite earning acclaim for her unique characters — most notably tech whiz Angie Tempura —  and hilarious celebrity impersonations of Barbara Walters, Hoda Kotb, and more, Michaela Watkins ended up lasting only one year at SNL before she was let go in 2009. At least her career since has proven to be very successful — let alone the fact that she can say she was a regular performer with The Groundlings for several years.

Jillian Bell

While she never made it on Saturday Night Live as a cast member, Jillian Bell did write for the show during its 35th Season, before going on to appear in Bridesmaids and star in the likes of Workaholics, 22 Jump Street, and Brittany Runs a Marathon. Years before those career milestones, the actor joined The Groundlings soon after moving to Los Angeles. 

Edie McClurg

Multi-generational audiences should recognize Edie McClurg from the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off cast as Ed Rooney’s assistant, Grace, who referred to Matthew Broderick’s title character as a “righteous dude.” Said famous line was actually an ad-lib, which should come as no surprise to anyone who knows her history with The Groundlings, which she performed with in the 1970s.

Tim Bagley

Tim Bagley is a comedian known best for his many notable recurring roles on series like Will & Grace and Monk. He first broke into the industry in the late 1980s as a performer for The Groundlings, whom he continues to perform with from time to time.

Whether or not you end up on SNL or even do something greater, The Groundlings is a great place for aspiring comedic actors to get started.

The massive influx of content entering and leaving all the best streaming services has come and gone with the beginning of the month, but the first full week of May has plenty of additional content on various platforms that you’re not going to want to miss. 

Netflix subscribers get the comedy. Max subscribers get the drama. Disney+ subscribers get the music and also the wibbly wobbly, timey wimey…stuff. Here’s a look at what’s hitting streamers this week that you may want to give special attention to. 

Netflix This Week: Will Forte And Kevin Hart

Netflix is a Joke is a live comedy festival that is taking place in Los Angeles this week, and so comedy is a major focus this week on Netflix itself. It's not just stand up specials as a new comedy series and special comedy award make up this week's best on Netflix.

Bodkin- May 9

Bodkin is a new dark comedy that stars Will Forte and Siobhán Cullen true crime podcasters who travel to Ireland to investigate and record shows about the disappearance of people years before. Unfortunately, their investigation turns the small town upside down. 

Mark Twain Prize Award: Kevin Hart - May 11

For 25 years The Kennedy Center has given out the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Previous recipients include Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Bill Murray, and Jon Stewart. This year Kevin Hart is being given the award, and the event will be broadcast live on Netflix.

Disney+ This Week: The Beatles And Doctor Who

Disney+ has become a significant streaming service for fans of music, and this week, rather than bringing fans something new, Beatles fans are getting a piece of history that has never been streaming before. Oh, and also there’s new Who.

Let it Be - May 8

Disney+ previously debuted Peter Jackson’s excellent Get Back documentary that gave a new look at the production of the iconic Let It Be album. Now, Jackson has applied the same technological updates to the audio and video of Let It Be the original 1970 documentary. It has never been available streaming before and should make for an interesting companion to Get Back.

Doctor Who - May 10

Disney+ scored a major win in the streaming content wars when it became the exclusive home in the U.S. to new episodes of Doctor Who. The show is as popular in America now as it has ever been, and with Ncuti Gatwa recently taking on the iconic role, a lot of fans, old and new, will be interested to see where this new season takes The Doctor.

Max This Week: Pretty Little Liars And The Iron Claw

If you love a good summer drama, Max has you covered with the newest season of the still-popular Pretty Little Liars franchise, as well as the latest addition to the Max A24 library, a movie you might have missed in theaters, but won’t want to miss streaming.

Pretty Little Liars: Summer School - May 9

Two years ago Max debuted Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, the latest in the ongoing teen drama franchise. Now the follow up season, known as Pretty Little Liars: Summer School is finally here for fans still waiting to learn what will happen next.

The Iron Claw - May 10

Professional wrestling may not be seen as the highest art form, but it is clearly full of drama as The Iron Claw proved to many last year. While the movie was largely overlooked by awards season the story of the Von Erich family touched the audience that saw it, and now the movie comes to Max for those that missed it in theaters or those that need to see it again. 

Peacock This Week:

Thanks to shows like The Traitors reality TV has been a successful avenue for Peacock to differentiate itself. While this week’s new reality competition is a bit different it may still appeal to fans looking for a new fix. 

Love Undercover, Season 1 - May 9

If you’re going to make a reality dating show, you need a solid hook, and Peacock’s Love Undercover certainly has an interesting one. The show sees five professional soccer stars try to find love. The catch is that they’re looking for love with American women who have no idea who they really are, as they will be pretending to be ordinary people. 

Prime Video This Week: Daniel Tosh Hosts New Reality Competition

Prime Video has found its most recent success thanks to scripted series and films thanks to the likes of Fallout and Road House. Now it looks for fresh success in the Reality TV space. 

The GOAT - May 8

Reality TV often trades on the idea that it focuses on “regular people” and yet, the genre has turned some of those people into celebrities that rival TV and movie stars. Prime Video’s The GOAT asks the question "Just who is the greatest reality star of all time?" and also the question "Does anybody actually care?"  by pitting 14 of them against each other in a variety of challenges. The show is hosted by comedian Danial Tosh.

Apple TV+ This Week: Joel Edgerton And Jennifer Connelly

Science fiction fans who also have an Apple TV+ subscription have been in good shape, as the platform has had some great series of late, and that trend will hopefully continue with this week’s new series. 

Dark Matter - May 8

Based on the novel of the same name, Dark Matter stars Joel Edgerton as a man who wakes up one day to discover the life he had is gone, and it’s been replaced by something new, including his wife Jennifer Connelly being replaced by Alice Kreig. 

While all these series and movies are worth at least giving a look, they are only the beginning of what’s coming to streaming this week. Check out our complete list of what’s new on Netflix and what’s upcoming on Disney+ to get a complete rundown of everything coming to those streamers. We also have a list of everything coming to Hulu. 

The Parks and Rec cast by itself is legendary. Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Rob Lowe, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Rashida Jones, Adam Scott and more served as regulars on the series for years, and to this day their characters are beloved. However, what made this show even more special was its constant stream of guest stars played by living legends. Everyone from Bill Murray to Michelle Obama to Ben Schwartz appeared on the NBC classic, and today, we’re here to talk about them. 

Paul Rudd

Now, I know we love Paul Rudd for his movies, but we also need to appreciate his brilliant work as Bobby Newport on Parks and Rec. During Season 4, the actor joined the cast to play the man running against Leslie Knope for a city council position. Overall, Bobby is childish, not smart and spoiled, and Rudd plays this silly idiot brilliantly. 

Bill Murray

Obviously, Bill Murray’s funniest roles include iconic characters like Phil Connors in Groundhog Day and Dr. Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters. However, his guest spot on Parks and Rec was unexpected and incredibly memorable. I write this because, for one episode in Season 7, the Saturday Night Live legend played Walter Gunderson, the dead mayor of Pawnee. 

Kathryn Hahn

Playing the cutthroat campaign manager Jen Barkley, Kathryn Hahn made a glorious (and a smidge evil) impact on Parks and Rec. She played a cutthroat manager who worked for Bobby Newport at first, and across ten episodes she popped in from time to time to both help and harm Leslie’s political career. 

Ben Schwartz 

Arguably, Jean-Ralphio Saperstein is one of the best recurring guest stars in Parks and Rec history. The rich boy who is friends with Tom is ridiculous, scammy and he’s constantly trying to flirt with everyone and sing whenever he can. While he’s 100% the worst, he’s also totally not “the WORRRRRRSSSSSTTTT,” if you know what I mean.  

Jenny Slate

In a stroke of perfect casting, Jenny Slate popped into Parks and Rec to play Jean-Ralphio’s sister Mona Lisa Saperstein. The siblings truly are the most chaotic duo, however, they’re also the two of the funniest extra side characters the sitcom has to offer. Just don’t fall for it when they ask for “money please!”

Henry Winkler

After getting to know Jean-Ralphio and Mona Lisa, we meet their father, Lu Saperstein in Season 6. Played brilliantly by Henry Winkler, the patriarch of the Saperstein family is a successful doctor who is willing to go to any financial length to help his kids. 

Sam Elliott

In the later seasons of the show, we met the Eagleton Parks Department. Ironically, each member of that crew matched up with a member of the Parks and Rec cast, and when it came to picking someone to play Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson’s counterpart, they cast Sam Elliott as Ron Dunn. While they both have legendary mustaches and an appreciation for the outdoors, that’s where the similarities stop, and seeing Ron and Anti-Ron go head-to-head was hilarious. 

Joe Biden

Leslie loves her politicians and had a massive crush on then-Vice President Joe Biden. As an engagement gift, Ben decided to give her the perfect present and prove that he’s the ideal man, by coordinating a meet and greet between Leslie and Joe Biden.

Patton Oswalt

When Leslie tries to change Pawnee’s charter to get rid of some silly laws – like throwing a Ted into a lake – Garth Blundin makes his disapproval clear. Patton Oswalt plays the historian, and he challenges Amy Poehler’s character to a filibuster and a day of living like a colonial person. Ultimately, he and Leslie find common ground, and he joins forces with her to help preserve the laws…he also volunteers to get thrown in the lake.

Michelle Obama

As Leslie tries to figure out if she should take a job at the National Parks Department and leave Pawnee, Michelle Obama comes in to tell her about why she should take it. Let’s just say if I met the First Lady, I think I’d be just as star-struck as Leslie Knope. How could you not stumble over your words if you casually bumped into the First Lady of the United States?

Bo Burnham

Some of the funniest stand-up on Netflix comes from Bo Burnham, and in his special Make Happy, he sings a “Country Song” that pokes fun at the cliches in the genre and how some artists are masters at pandering to their audiences. On Parks and Rec, he worked with that idea as well by playing country singer Chipp McCapp who Leslie and Andy tried to hire for a performance at the Unity Concert. His songs like “Beautiful Like My Mom (Support the Troops)” were truly hilarious, and they complimented the stand-up comedian's sense of humor very well. 

John McCain

Parks and Rec knows how to do a political cameo, and one of the best ones came when Leslie didn’t even realize she’d just met John McCain in a coat closet. She was so distraught over interacting with #4 and #26 on Leslie’s list of amazing women, that she didn’t even notice she was speaking with the senator. 

Megan Mullally

You know chaos mode has been activated when Ron’s second ex-wife Tammy II enters the chat. She’s constantly trying to simultaneously take Ron down and get back together with her, and his efforts to avoid it are truly hilarious. However, what really makes this dynamic duo so hysterical and one of the best recurring inside jokes on Parks and Rec is the fact that Tammy II is played by Nick Offerman’s real-life wife Megan Mullally. 

Will Forte

Amy Poehler and Will Forte were both in some of SNL’s best casts, and it was such a treat to see them reunite on Parks and Rec. In his episode, Forte played Kelly, a man who really wants to get the Twilight books put in Pawnee’s town time capsule. When Leslie refuses and then agrees, it starts an outcry over what can and can’t go in the capsule via a chaotic town meeting. 

Jon Hamm

According to Leslie, Jon Hamm’s Ed is the “most incompetent person I’ve ever worked with.” He worked for our leading lady when she was at the National Parks Department, and he was swiftly fired by her not long after we met him. 

John Cena

In an epic episode of Andy’s show, the Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show, Burt Macklin, FBI, arrested John Cena – who was wearing so much of his own WWE merch – and took him to the dunk tank. Talk about a dream come true for Andy and viewers.

Keegan-Michael Key

There’s no question that all our hearts grew a few sizes when Donna married Keegan-Michael Key’s Joe. The comedian played the “Treat yo’ self’ queen’s boyfriend-turned-husband in Seasons 6 and 7, and it’s safe to say that we all adored this music teacher. 

Bradley Whitford

Considering Parks and Rec is a show about government and Rob Lowe is one of its stars, it made perfect sense for a West Wing cast member to pop into the sitcom. It was done perfectly too, because the team brought in Josh himself, as Bradley Whitford played Councilman Pillner, the man Leslie replaces on City Council and a model boat enthusiast. 

J.K. Simmons

Remember Ice Town? Well, Ben’s hometown of Partridge and J.K. Simmons’ Mayor Stice sure do. And that became clear as day when an episode of Parks went back to Adam Scott’s character’s hometown so he could get a key to the city, which ended up just being melted water in a box…because Ice Town. 

Patricia Clarkson

While Megan Mullally’s Tammy II is truly unhinged and chaotic, Tammy I is cold, calculated, and manipulative. She’s played by Patricia Clarkson, and she really adds to the hilarious chaos that is Ron Swanson’s love life. 

Andy Samberg

Back when Andy Samberg was still on Saturday Night Live and before he led his own sitcom, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, he guest starred on Parks and Rec as the incredibly loud Park Ranger Carl. During Season 2, Leslie worked with Carl on a few issues of Parks security, and let's just say that she “might not be so confident, when [she has to] walk a mile in [Carl’s]  size sevens.” 

Rachel Dratch

In the final season of Parks and Recreation, Amy Poehler’s Saturday Night Live co-star Rachel Dratch appeared as Roz Pinwheel, the nanny of Leslie and Ben’s triplets. While a small role, it was such a nice (and funny) nod to the two comedians' time together on the legendary sketch comedy show.

Nick Kroll

If you were looking to get humiliated on the radio look no further than "The Douche." This hilarious and terrible radio host was played by the mastermind behind one of the best animated shows, Big Mouth, Nick Kroll, and anytime he showed up to host a radio spot on the series, you knew something wild was about to go down.

Chelsea Peretti

While Leslie ran for City Council, April filled in for her one time, and during one of her seminars Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Chelsea Peretti showed up as one of the attendees, Zelda. Fun fact: before Peretti was part of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast, she actually wrote two episodes of Parks and Rec, which helps explain her lil cameo in the series. 

Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell was quite literally the perfect person to play Leslie Knope’s Eagleton councilwoman counterpart, Ingrid de Forest. It turns out, Bell was born to thrive on a comedy like this, because after Parks and Rec, she went on to lead the cast of The Good Place, which was Michael Schur’s next show after Parks.  

Dax Shepard

When Tom decides to become Andy’s manager as he works on Johnny Karate, they have a run-in with Hank Muntak, a TV executive in Pawnee who is played by Dax Shepard. Before this guest spot, the actor had spent a lot of time on NBC as one of the stars of Parenthood, these days you can find him hosting his podcast Armchair Expert. 

Will Arnett

Before Leslie meets and falls in love with Ben, she goes on some wildly terrible dates, including one with MRI technician Chris. At the time, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett were actually married (they’re divorced now), making this blind date even funnier because they were a real-life couple too. 

Sean Hayes

Bobby Wood was Indianapolis’ best talk show host, and he was played by Sean Hayes. As television appearances tend to go for Leslie and co. her interview with him didn’t exactly go well, and both comedic actors were so funny in the moment. 

Fred Armisen

You can always count on Fred Armisen to play the wildest goofy guys, and he did exactly that on Parks and Recreation. In the episode “Sister City,” the SNL vet appeared as Raul Alejandro Bastilla Pedro de Veloso de Maldonado, the Venezuelan officer who came to represent his city on a trip to Pawnee. 

Tatiana Maslany

Tom Haverford’s love life was always a funny point of interest on Parks and Rec, especially because it was only brought up occasionally. For instance, in Season 6, he had a short-lived relationship with Tatiana Maslany’s Nadia Stasky, a doctor who eventually left Pawnee and moved to Rwanda.  

Parker Posey

Indie darling Parker Posey came on to Parks and Rec to play Lindsay Carlisle Shay. The character was Leslie’s counterpart from Eagleton, meaning she was the Deputy Parks Director in Pawnee’s fancy rival town. The twist here was that Lindsay was actually Leslie’s friend and went behind her back a long time ago to take the job in Eagleton. 

Jason Schwartzman

Jason Schwartzman’s role in Parks and Rec presented an interesting issue for Pawnee when he decided to turn his video rental store into an adult store. Watching Leslie flounder as she figured out how to help the character played by the Asteroid City star was so funny, and the character of Dennis was perfect for Schwartzman.  

Honestly, the guest stars from Parks and Rec are next level. From comedy geniuses to beloved dramatic actors, so many notable names took a quick trip to Pawnee, Indiana and I love that for them, this wonderful show and us. 

The Coyote vs. Acme drama continues, but unfortunately, it’s not the update animation and movie fans in general were looking for. When the news broke in November of 2023 that Warner Bros was thinking about scrapping the hybrid animated movie like it did with Batgirl, in exchange for a tax break, several creatives behind the film spoke out in protest. Fans were also quick to get behind the allegedly-canceled movie by launching an impressive social media campaign aimed at either getting the movie released or leaked, while also calling for the firing of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav. 

The instant backlash the movie studio faced had it scrambling to reconsider. A few weeks after the initial cancelation request, Warner Bros. announced that it would entertain offers from other studios looking to buy Coyote vs. Acme. It was reported that several studios were interested, and a bidding war seemed likely, but WB appeared to be uninterested in negotiating. 

The bad news seems to continue, as Will Forte, the actor tasked with being Wile E. Coyote’s lawyer in the Looney Tunes flick, has finally broken his silence about the fate of the movie. He shared the following statement on his Instagram: 

Prior to Forte’s statement, none of the cast of Coyote vs. Acme — which included John Cena and Lana Condor, amongst others — had spoken about the drama unfolding, at least not explicitly. John Cena did, however, share a cryptic message that had fans wondering if he was referring to the scrapped film. It's a case that seems all too likely paired with Forte's post and reports saying that WB failed to negotiate in good faith with interest parties and the hybrid live-action film missing from the studio’s Q4 2023 earning calls. So it seems like all bets are officially off. The SNL alum’s statement seems to be the final blow to fans’ hope of ever getting their hands on this movie. 

It’s a shame, especially given the high praise the film received in early screening tests. It's praise The Last Man on Earth star seems to share, as he noted in his post how amazing, funny, and beautiful the final edit ended up being. However, WB has yet to officially announce that the Coyote vs. Acme was included in the $70 million writedown the company took during Q3 earnings, which frustrates Looney Tunes fans even more. 

Perhaps Forte’s statement is a calculated attempt and last-ditch effort to drum up public support that will finally convince the Max head honcho to reverse is so-called “courageous” cancelation. It certainly seems that way judging by the comments on the Instagram post. 

Unfortunately, the cancelation and deletion of completed films seem to be the new trend in Hollywood aided by the legendary Warner Brothers Studio. DC’s Batgirl was the first movie to be scrapped by the studio's new leadership despite the film being nearly completed. It was followed by the cancelation of Scoob! Holiday Haunt, which was also completed, and it’s likely a handful of other movies and shows faced a similar fate given recent quarterly write-offs. 

Hopefully WB will see the error in its ways sooner rather than later, and the John Cena/Will Forte lead film will get its chance to shine on the big screen as part of the 2024 movie schedule like it belongs, or at the very least on Max where subscribers can find it. For now, fans can catch a glimpse of how great the movie would have been by listening to the “Meep Meep” song composer Steven Price shared on social media back in November. Don’t forget to keep tweeting your support, as it's the least we can do to help save Coyote vs. Acme from its unfair fate. 

In its several decades on air, Saturday Night Live has made icons out of many of its cast members. For some — including some of SNL’s one-season wonders — you might argue that the sketch comedy series is the peak of their careers, until you remember the acclaimed and widely beloved movies and TV shows they would go on to star in. Take a look at our picks for the finest work some of our favorite SNL stars have put out beyond their time at Studio 8H.

Eddie Murphy (Coming To America)

48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop made him a movie star, but Coming to America might be the absolute best Eddie Murphy movie, especially as the first to show just how far the comic’s extraordinary talents extend. He gives his most heartfelt performance as an African prince searching for love in New York City, but that is far from his only role in this dazzling romantic-com from 1988.

Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids)

Along with her writing partner, Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig joined the club of Oscar-nominated SNL stars for penning this 2011 instant classic comedy. She also transcends what made her a Studio 8H all-star by leading the Bridesmaids cast with her most down-to-earth performance yet as a baker suffering an existential crisis after her best friend (played by Maya Rudolph) gets engaged.

Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)

Some argue that an SNL star who should have been nominated for an Oscar is Adam Sandler for his performance in one of the best A24 movies, Uncut Gems. If self-destructive jeweler Howard Rattner had been played by anyone else but the guy behind “The Hanukkah Song” and movies like Happy Gilmore, it might have been tough to root for the protagonist of Josh and Benny Safdie’s anxiety-fueled, 2019 crime drama.

Kate McKinnon (Barbie)

After previously working with Margot Robbie in Bombshell and making the A-lister laugh uncontrollably in an SNL sketch, Kate McKinnon reunited with the Australian actor in the Barbie cast in 2023. The Emmy-winner is perfect as “Weird Barbie” — now a real doll in Mattel’s catalog — in co-writer and director Greta Gerwig’s cleverly satirical and surprisingly moving blockbuster based on the legendary toy.

Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction)

We love Will Ferrell in funny movies like Elf and Talladega Nights, but never has he given a performance as tender, reserved, and relatable as his Golden Globe-nominated role in Stranger Than Fiction. That is only one reason director Marc Forster’s inventive 2006 dramedy is his best movie in our eyes.

Molly Shannon (Wet Hot American Summer)

The Wet Hot American Summer cast is full of actors who went on to become superstars, but one of the biggest names among that ensemble at the time was SNL great Molly Shannon. She stars in the 2001 cult-favorite summer comedy classic as camp counselor Gail, who seeks consolation for her second divorce from surprisingly mature adolescent campers.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

To this day, many believe that Bill Murray should have won the Academy Award for his performance in one of the best movies of the 2000s, Lost in Translation. Also one of the best movies produced by Focus Features, he stars in writer and director Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning sophomore effort as a disillusioned actor who strikes up a unique bond with a young woman (played by Scarlett Johansson) who is also struggling to navigate her life after meeting in Japan. 

Tina Fey (Mean Girls)

From her time on SNL as a cast member and head writer to her development of beloved comedies like 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Tina Fey has had one of the most impressive careers in comedy, let alone show business in general. However, her one credit that has best stood the test of time is her sharply satirical high school movie, Mean Girls, which she adapted from Rosalind Wiseman’s book and also stars in as Ms. Norbury.

Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers)

Dan Aykroyd may have a Best Picture Oscar winner under his belt (Driving Miss Daisy, for which he also received an acting nomination) and also wrote and starred in one of the beloved Ghostbusters. However, the movie that he will always be best known for is 1980’s The Blues Brothers, which is arguably the all-time best movie based on SNL characters (Ayrkoyd and John Belushi’s brotherly musicians, Jake and Elwood Blues) and one of the most important movies set in Chicago as well.

Gilda Radner (Haunted Honeymoon)

Highlights of Gilda Radner’s post-SNL career included sharing the screen with her husband, Gene Wilder, such as 1986’s Haunted Honeymoon, in which they play a couple staying in a spooky house to cure the groom’s anxieties. Unfortunately, the fun horror-comedy movie would also be her final film before she passed away in 1989.

Chevy Chase (Community)

After making a huge impact in so little time on SNL (not even two full seasons), Chevy Chase had a memorable film career (especially with National Lampoon’s Vacation movies), but it was his return to the small screen in the late 2000s that really had us especially impressed. He starred in the Community cast as Pierce Hawthorne — one of many Greendale Community College students experiencing often strange circumstances and meta pop-culture references in creator Dan Harmon’s inventive sitcom.

Chris Farley (Tommy Boy)

Perhaps the most influential ‘90s SNL actor was the late Chris Farley, whose one-in-a-million, energetic comedic talent made him a legend. He also made an impeccable team with fellow SNL actor David Spade in the hilarious road trip comedy, and one of the funniest and most iconic movies of the ‘90s, Tommy Boy.

Jimmy Fallon (Almost Famous)

Jimmy Fallon has had a stellar career, from his memorable SNL stint to hosting The Tonight Show, but most of his movies did not quite have the same impact — save his Oscar-winning feature-length debut in 2000. Fallon starred in writer and director Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous cast as the touring manager for Stillwater, Dennis Hope.

Amy Poehler (Inside Out)

Amy Poehler is the kind of performer who brings a sense of joy to everything she does, from her SNL days to the Parks and Recreation cast as Leslie Knope. Thus, it only makes sense that she would star as the personification of “Joy” in one of Pixar’s best movies: 2015’s Inside Out.

Will Forte (Nebraska)

We all know and love the masterfully goofy Will Forte from the “MacGruber” sketches and as the star and creator of a show canceled too soon called The Last Man on Earth, but 2013’s Nebraska showed a rare side of the actor we cherished seeing. He gives a somber, yet beautifully endearing, performance in director Alexander Payne’s Oscar-nominated drama as a man accompanying his estranged father (played by Bruce Dern) on a trip to collect a supposed million-dollar prize.

Maya Rudolph (The Way Way Back)

Maya Rudolph’s career outside SNL has been nothing short of impressive, but we were most impressed by her work in 2013’s The Way Way Back. From the Oscar-winning writing duo behind The Descendants (Nat Faxon and Jim Rash), this winning dramedy features Rudolph as Caitlin, a manager at a water park where teen protagonist Duncan (Liam James) works to escape a miserable summer at his mother’s boyfriend’s house.

Bill Hader (Barry)

Bill Hader never failed to surprise audiences with his impeccable impersonations and excellent commitment to character on SNL, but he surprised us in other ways with his first major small-screen follow-up. He played the title role of HBO’s Barry cast (in addition to co-creating the very dark comedy series), who is a hitman trying to reinvent himself as an actor.

Cecily Strong (Schmigadoon!)

One of the greatest surprises of John Mulaney’s SNL musical sketches was Cecily Strong’s smashing singing voice. It would also come in handy when she and Keegan-Michael Key led AppleTV+’s Schmigadoon! cast as a couple trapped in a world that looks and sounds like a lavish musical production.

Chris Rock (Nurse Betty)

In 2000, Chris Rock teamed up with Morgan Freeman as hitmen searching for a delusional widow (played by Renée Zellweger) convinced she is engaged to a soap opera character in director Neil LaBute’s sharp, quirky dramedy, Nurse Betty. We will, however, give an honorable mention for one of the best sitcoms starring an SNL vet, Everybody Hates Chris, which the comedian created and narrated.

Jane Curtin (3rd Rock From The Sun)

Years after playing an alien in, arguably, her single funniest SNL sketch (“The Coneheads”), Jane Curtin played one of the few human series regulars on a series also about otherworldly visitors trying to blend in. The former “Weekend Update” anchor starred on NBC’s hit sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun as Dr. Mary Albright, a colleague, and later fiancée, of Dick Solomon (John Lithgow) at Pendleton State University.

Andy Samberg (Palm Springs)

There is only so much that we are actually willing to reveal about our pick for Andy Samberg’s best effort outside of SNL, Palm Springs, for anyone who has not seen it yet. What we will say is that the 2020 rom-com — and one of the best movies on Hulu — stars the Lonely Island member and Golden Globe-winning Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor and Cristin Milioti as wedding guests who become embroiled in a very strange predicament.

Mike Myers (Shrek)

We love almost all of the characters Mike Myers has created or portrayed, from Wayne Campbell to Austin Powers, but picking his true all-time best work outside of Studio 8H is easy. Myers put on his best Scottish accent to voice the title role of 2001’s Shrek — the first movie to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar, for its sharp send-up of fairytale tropes and heartwarming unlikely romance.

Pete Davidson (The King Of Staten Island)

There have been some great Pete Davidson movies and TV shows over the years, but the former SNL star’s best work might also be one of his most personal. The Bupkis cast member based The King of Staten Island (which he co-wrote with director Judd Apatow) on his own life as the son of a firefighter who tragically passed on 9/11. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ time on SNL often goes forgotten, but you cannot say the same about the career she had after the show, which includes Emmy wins for shows like Veep and joining the MCU. However, she really blew up when she joined the Seinfeld cast as Elaine Benes, who was the focus of many classic and hilarious moments on the legendary sitcom.

Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)

Jason Sudeikis is the kind of SNL performer who could make the Devil himself seem likable, which is why he was the perfect choice for the charming lead of the Ted Lasso cast for Apple TV+. Indeed, his Emmy-winning performance as the titular American football coach hired to manage an English football (a.k.a. soccer) team is key to its jubilant success.

Norm Macdonald (Dirty Work)

In 1998, the same year that the late Norm Macdonald was infamously fired from SNL, the actor came out with one of his best movies, Dirty Work. Also written by Macdonald and directed by Bob Saget, the comedy about a man who literally becomes a specialist in the business of revenge has gained a cult following despite getting bad reviews in the 90s.

Kenan Thompson (D2: The Mighty Ducks)

Before he became one of the longest-running SNL cast members, Kenan Thompson was part of Nickelodeon’s more kid-friendly sketch comedy, All That. However, before then, the Emmy winner made his acting debut in one of the greatest hockey movies, D2: the Mighty Ducks as the inventor of the Knuckle Puck, Russ.

Ana Gasteyer (Happiest Season)

As the creator of beloved sketches like “NPR’s Delicious Dish” and the astonishing ability to hide when sketches don’t go as planned, Ana Gasteyer’s SNL days do not get talked about enough. In 2020, she appeared alongside the Happiest Season cast in a brief, but memorable, role in the acclaimed LGBTQ+ romance dramedy.

Fred Armisen (Portlandia)

While he was still on SNL, Fred Armisen was the driving force of a whole different kind of sketch comedy series called Portlandia. In partnership with non-SNL sketch comedy actor Carrie Brownstein, the pair poked fun at life in Portland in a Monty Python-esque style of quirky and bizarre bits.

Tim Meadows (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping)

Despite his impressively long tenure, Tim Meadows is one of the most criminally underrated SNL actors and his big-screen presence is no different. Case in point: even one of his most prominent movie roles is from a vastly underrated, mockumentary-style comedy, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, from 2106 as Harry, manager to conner4real (Andy Samberg).

Tracy Morgan (30 Rock)

How fitting that one of Tracy Morgan’s greatest successes after being a sketch comedy show performer was playing a sketch comedy show performer. The comic stole every scene in creator and star Tina Fey’s brilliantly surreal broadcasting satire, 30 Rock, as over-the-top actor, Tracy Jordan.

Aidy Bryant (Shrill)

Even before she left SNL (a bit later than she anticipated as a result of Covid-19), Aidy Bryant had already ventured on with a series of her own called Shrill. The actor received an Emmy nomination for her performance on the Hulu original comedy (which she also co-created) as an overweight journalist aspiring to change who she is inside without changing who she is outside.

Even if Saturday Night Live is what these actors are remembered best for, that does not mean it will always be the best thing they are remembered for.

When Bill Hader returned to host Saturday Night Live for a second time, in his monologue, he joked that he never realized “that first commercial after the monologue, the ones we’re in… those are fake.” All kidding aside, for the most part, we are relieved that the items featured in the long-running sketch comedy series’ commercial parodies are not real, and all it should take to understand why is a quick look at this collection of our picks for the most hilarious fake SNL products we have seen over the years.

The Super Bass-O-Matic '76

“Super Bass-O-Matic ’76” is a beloved sketch written by Dan Aykroyd, who revealed to The Food Channel that the faux infomercial in which the Not Ready For Primetime Player liquidates a whole fish, bones and all, was inspired by his aunt’s own methods for preparing such a meal. Outside of the shocking technique itself and its unappetizing results, the truly funniest thing about this product is, arguably, that it is no different from a common blender.

Happy Fun Ball

With a name like "Happy Fun Ball," one would assume that this shiny, red ball is a perfectly wholesome toy for all ages. However, once this faux ad reaches its warning disclaimer, it becomes clear that no soul should ever go near this cursed thing. 

Bag O'Glass

On a holiday edition of a program called Consumer Probe, the host (played by longtime Five-Timers Club member Candice Bergen) is reviewing products from Mainway Toys’ with shady company president, Irwin Mainway (Dan Aykroyd). The clearly inappropriate and potentially hazardous toys include a doll that ejects a sharp blade from its arms and a teddy bear that doubles as a chainsaw, but the (darkly) funniest item has to be “Bag O’Glass,” which is exactly what it sounds like it is.

Colon Blow

Late, legendary ‘90s SNL cast member Phil Hartman plays a man introduced to a cereal aptly named Colon Blow, as it contains 30,000 times the amount of fiber you would get from an average bowl of cereal. Just when he thinks the literal pyramid of cereal bowls he is balancing on could not get higher, the announcer tells him about Super Colon Blow, which equates to two-and-a-half-million bowls of Hartman’s preferred brand in fiber content.

Almost Pizza

Bill Hader plays a man who assumes his wife (played by Kristen Wiig) has baked a pizza for dinner, but grows increasingly concerned when she tells him it is not really pizza, but “Almost Pizza.” It is never revealed what the product actually is, but it is most definitely not edible, appears to have a mind of its own, and was distributed by Pfizer.

Toilet Death Ejector 

In one of John Mulaney’s best SNL sketches (not counting his musical skits), he points out how embarrassing it must be when elderly people die on the toilet before introducing a solution: the Toilet Death Ejector. Just push a button on the side right as your final moment approaches and it will (hopefully) launch you right into bed before dropping an acclaimed book near you for a more dignified place to be found by a loved one.

Mom Jeans

It’s funny how a certain style of a certain article of clothing can be so closely associated with a certain demographic, such as high-waisted jeans with mothers. However, as writer and star Tina Fey revealed to Jess Cage on Sirius XM, she wasn’t even a mother when she came up with the “Mom Jeans” sketch, which was inspired by a “really unfortunate pair of jeans” she bought at J. Crew on Studio 8H’s writing night.

Wells For Boys

While some young boys like to play catch with their friends or go on bike rides, others may want to spend their days contemplating their inner thoughts and feelings, which is what this Well playset is for. The commercial, starring Academy Award winner Emma Stone as the central boy’s mother, also highlights more from Fisher Price’s Sensitive Boys line, including a balcony for making announcements and a broken mirror for reflecting on their inner complexities.

CNN Pregnancy Test 

CNN is devoted to keeping you constantly updated about a certain developing topic even when they do not have any new information to provide. SNL poked fun at this habit with a faux ad for a digital pregnancy test developed by the cable news channel that takes a really long time to give hopeful parents their results but keeps them updated on its lack of an answer all the way through.

Nelson's Baby Toupees

A lack of hair is nothing that an infant should be worried about, but according to this fake ad from SNL’s 31st season, it is just as concerning as male pattern baldness. Thus, Nelson’s Baby Toupees have been developed to help babies achieve the confidence they are not old enough to acknowledge by giving them the hair they won’t need for years.

Duolingo For Talking To Children 

In his faux ad, Academy Award nominee and Twilight movies star Kristen Stewart plays a woman who embarrasses herself trying to speak to a child. This leads her to turn to an edition of language learning software Duolingo specifically designed to help non-parents relate to their younger peers.  

Undercover Office Potty 

For anyone who ever felt they lost valuable time at work due to restroom breaks, the Undercover Office Potty offers a solution to discreetly relieve yourself without ever leaving your desk. However, the smell emitting from the portable toilet disguised as a lamp turns out to be not so subtle, especially when you crowd your desk with them like Beck Bennett’s office worker in this faux ad.

GE Big Boy Home Appliances 

Kitchen appliances and cleaning materials are not typically marketed toward men, but, to keep up with changing times, General Electric intends to change that in this sketch starring Jason Momoa and his smoldering eyes. The company’s line of “Big Boy” Home Appliances includes a dishwasher with a 70-pound steel door, a six-foot-tall washing machine, and a vacuum you can ride like a lawnmower.

Brownie Husband

Tina Fey stars in this ad for a new product from Duncan Hines created for single women looking for more than just a nice evening dessert. With Brownie Husband, in 90 seconds, you can have the man of your heart (and your stomach) desires. 

Santi-Wrap 

This bit from SNL’s second season takes the concept of using toilet seat covers over tissue for sanitary protection and applies it to sitting on a department store Santa’s lap. Laraine Newman plays a woman who actually starts placing tissues on the lap of John Belushi’s boozy Santa before her husband (played by Dan Aykroyd) tells her she should use “Santi-Wrap” instead.

24-Hour Energy For Dating Actresses

At a time when people began taking 5-Hour Energy Shots to just make it through a workday, SNL introduced the idea of a shot that gives the consumer a full 24 hours. However, the faux ad that accompanies the product is targeted toward men who cannot match the energy of their partners, who act for a living.

Swiffer Sleepers 

Household chores cut in significantly with the time you could be spending with your children, which is where “Swiffer Sleepers” come in. Amy Poehler stars in this Season 28 bit as a mother who is able to make the kids clean the floor (and elsewhere), and have fun doing it, by rolling around in special pajamas from the makers of the Swiffer Sweeper.

Starbucks Verismo

This ad imagines what might happen if Starbucks developed a home coffee maker that replicates the experience of ordering from one of its locations as authentically as possible. It seems to work a little too well, based on how Vanessa Bayer’s character, Martha, discovers the name “Amorfa” written on her mug and receives tea instead of the latte she wanted.

The Love Toilet

For the most inseparable couples who take pleasure in doing literally everything together, The Love Toilet is just what their bathroom is missing. The massive, dual-bowl porcelain throne even comes with just one flushing plunger so both partners can go together at the same time.

Closet Organizer

Out of the many potential methods to organize your closet, one of the more unlikely is hiring a living person dressed in a blue jumpsuit (played here by Will Forte) to frantically scramble to put away whatever you literally throw at him. This sketch was actually referenced in a later sketch from the same episode where a bar patron (played by host and then Mad Men cast member Jon Hamm) recognizes a stranger as “the Closet Organizer guy.”

Amazon Echo Silver 

Because the virtual assistant is a technology still somewhat in its infancy, it is perfectly understandable why older people may have a challenging time adapting to an invention that has only existed for a small chunk of their lifetime. Therefore, the Amazon Echo Silver — a version of the device specifically designed for elders that conveniently answers to names just close enough to “Alexa” — actually sounds like a thoughtful idea.

Alan

In this SNL Season 40 sketch that was originally cut for time, a married couple (played by Taran Killam and Vaness Bayer) is gifted with the “future of casual entertainment”, a human-like dancing robot in a clear box referred to as “The Alan” (host Bill Hader). However, they more learn about this already confusing product, the more difficult it is to be entertained by it.

Mom Celebrity Translator 

A device that helps decipher the celebrity your mom is attempting to name is the kind of fake SNL product we imagine a lot of viewers wished was real when the sketch first aired during Season 34. The concept is already hilariously relatable enough, but the mispronounced names featured — such as “Kite Carbinaw” instead of Kim Kardashian or Jake Gyllenhaal wrongly identified as “Joe Geronimo” — make it even better.

Dissing Your Dog

Dale Sturtevant (Will Ferrell) introduces a revolutionary new puppy training program based on the belief that canines are more receptive to sarcasm and put-downs than we might assume and can be conditioned out of certain behaviors that way. If only it was that easy.

Beta Force

At first, this sketch appears to be a faux ad for a testosterone supplement that is refreshingly and brutally honest about its negative psychological effects on middle-aged men. That is until you learn it is actually meant to promote a different supplement called Beta Force, which is designed to counteract those effects and, thankfully, make the user his old self again.

Leave Me Alurn

Rachel Brosnahan stars in this ad for a fake urn of a loved one’s ashes that can help dispel unwanted attention during nature walks. We can only imagine how the writer of this sketch came up with such a dark — but, admittedly, ingenious — idea.

My Little Stepchildren

There are many dolls that are intended to be a fun way for children to imagine being a loving parent. However, this bit that was unfortunately cut for time gives children to live out their fantasy of being a wicked step-parent.

Abilify For Candidates

This ad for a faux medicine called Ability for Candidates first aired in 2015, during the early stages of the 2016 Presidential election. The pill in question is meant to help politicians gain a more realistic perspective on their chances of getting into the White House.

Levi Wokes

Gender-neutral clothes would become common by the time this Season 43 sketch took the concept to a whole new level by introducing Levi Wokes. The revolutionary jeans do not just aim for specific gender conformity but conform to any social identity you could think of by coming in one size and one color, featuring a 180-degree zipper, and selling the pockets separately.

Aerotoilet

When a party host (Moon Knight cast member Oscar Isaac) worries about the number of guests using his bathroom, his wife (Kate McKinnon) tells him they can use their Aerotoilet. The inflatable toilet seems to be a dream come true until it proves to be more high maintenance than a real toilet.

Wilson Trap Doors 

Everyone has had a moment at some point in which they wish they could just get rid of someone with the push of a button and Wilson Trap Doors provides that kind of relief. As the faux ad demonstrates, other trap doors can come with numerous design flaws, but this one is guaranteed to put your enemies away for good and without any mishaps.

Glitter Litter Automatic Litter Factory

For anyone who ever wished they could find a use for their cat’s droppings, the Glitter Litter Automatic Litter Factory is just what they have been looking for. This cut-for-time bit imagines a device that immediately converts kitty litter into shiny wearable jewelry.

Come to think of it, some of SNL’s best fake commercials might make for good entrepreneurial ideas.

We could talk forever about our favorite SNL actors and their funniest sketches, but when was the last time we showed our appreciation for the people who were the real brains behind the operation? That is what we intend to do here as we look back at some of Saturday Night Live’s most celebrated bits and characters as we share the stories behind those who wrote them into reality.

NPR's Delicious Dish: Schweddy Balls (Ana Gasteyer)

The glorious piece of suggestive comedy that is “Schweddy Balls” is just one — let alone, arguably, the funniest — edition of a recurring sketch called “NPR’s Delicious Dish,” which was the brainchild of one of its stars, Ana Gasteyer. The Happiest Season cast member recalled to NPR — of all places — that she was still part of the improv comedy troupe, The Groundlings, when gastronomic radio shows from LA called “The Splendid Table” and “Good Food” inspired her to write the bit. 

Close Encounter (Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell)

We have SNL actor Mikey Day and writing partner Streeter Seidell to thank for what is widely considered one of Kate McKinnon’s best SNL sketches, “Close Encounter.” According to Day and Seidell’s talk with Vulture, they knew that host Ryan Gosling would not be able to stop laughing at Colleen Rafferty’s horrendous experience with an alien abduction because he wasn’t able to hold it together during any of the rehearsals.

The Olympia Cafe (Don Novello)

Comedian Don Novello is best known for playing Father Guido Scarducci on SNL, but he is also the unsung hero of “The Olympia Cafe,” which some may recognize better as the “cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger” sketch. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, the bit was inspired by an actual Chicago restaurant called the Billy Goat Tavern, which Novello and the sketch’s star, John Belushi, would frequent.

Matt Foley: Van Down By The River (Chris Farley, Bob Odenkirk, And Robert Smigel)

After seeing Chris Farley perform at Second City as his character, Matt Foley, Bob Odenkirk was inspired to write the sketch that introduced the motivational speaker to SNL in 1993. However, as the former Breaking Bad cast member revealed on Hot Ones, it was Robert Smigel’s last-minute idea for Farley to fall down onto the table.

More Cowbell (Will Ferrell) 

According to Rolling Stone, the faint sound of the cowbell on Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” inspired Will Ferrell to write a now-classic sketch — that Christopher Walken believes ruined his life — revolving around the one playing the obscure instrument on the 1976 hit. He later discovered from an SNL art department employee whose father worked on the Agents of Fortune album that he had unwittingly captured the characteristics of the song’s real cowbell player… save the low-cut sweater and overzealous gyration.

Church Chat (Dana Carvey And Rosie Shuster)

On an SNL 40th Anniversary retrospective by People, Dana Carvey recalls performing as the Church Lady in his pre-SNL days at clubs, where he spontaneously improvised her famous catchphrase, “Isn’t that special?” He teamed up with writer Rosie Shuster to develop the character’s SNL debut, leading to the creation of “Church Chat” — which Carvey would revive as a host in later years.

Wayne's World (Mike Myers)

According to Primetimer, when Mike Myers showed then-SNL writers Conan O’Brien, Robert Smigel, Bob Odenkirk, and Greg Daniels his idea for “Wayne’s World,” they politely advised him against pitching it in the writer’s room. Well, the joke is on those nobodies because the sketch — a cable access program filmed in Wayne’s (Myers) basement and co-hosted by Dana Carvey’s Garth — was a huge hit that inspired one of the best SNL movies ever.

Haunted Elevator (Ft. David S. Pumpkins) (Bobby Moynihan, Mikey Day, and Streeter Seidell)

Wanting to break free from the political-heavy humor of SNL’s 42nd season, Bobby Moynihan, Mikey Day, and Streeter Seidell — after much trial and error — crafted a sketch for the Halloween show featuring a strange man who would become one of Tom Hanks’ best SNL characters: David S. Pumpkins. According to Vulture’s oral history, the trio was astonished by the success of “this dumb, dumb thing” that even inspired an animated special on NBC the following year.

Mom Jeans (Tina Fey)

In an interview with Jess Cage for Sirius XM, Tina Fey recalls purchasing a “really unfortunate pair of jeans” at J. Crew, and she decided to use that as fuel on writing night at Studio 8H. The result was one of SNL’s funniest commercial parodies, for which the future 30 Rock cast member and creator wore a prosthetic stomach and rear end.

MacGruber (Jorma Taccone)

Played by Will Forte, easily distracted special forces agent MacGruber was first envisioned by Jorma Taccone — one-third of the Lonely Island — according to Vanity Fair’s oral history. Having later spawned a feature film and a Peacock original series, you could argue that the recurring sketch hit a level of attention that resembled the love for the TV show that inspired it, MacGyver (whose star, Richard Dean Anderson, cameoed in one edition).

Two Wild And Crazy Guys (Dan Aykroyd, Steve Martin, Marilyn Suzanne Miller)

In collaboration with writer Marilyn Suzanne Miller (according to Ultimate Classic Rock), Dan Aykroyd partnered with SNL host hall-of-famer Steve Martin to create the Festrunk Brothers, who are better known as the “wild and crazy guys!” The Czechoslovakian swingers became a staple of the show, and they would return in more recent years alongside another famous duo: Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg’s highly inappropriate R&B singers.

Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton Address the Nation (Seth Meyers)

One of SNL’s sharpest pieces of political satire sees Sen. Hillary Clinton (Amy Poehler) struggling to remain civil during a non-partisan appearance alongside Gov. Sarah Palin (Tina Fey) in response to the latter’s Vice Presidential nomination. According to Vulture, then-head writer Seth Meyers penned that legendary SNL cold open, which also featured a few jokes by Poehler and Fey and Palin’s iconic line “I can see Russia from my house,” courtesy of Late Night producer Mike Shoemaker.

Stefon (Bill Hader And John Mulaney)

At The New Yorker Festival in 2014, Bill Hader recalled how a flamboyant barista he frequently bumped into and a strange email John Mulaney received about an aspiring club owner’s bizarre ideas — including “a room full of broken glass” — were the catalysts for Stefon. Hader also mentions that he tested the character in a particularly forgettable sketch opposite host Ben Affleck before making him Weekend Update’s city correspondent. The former Barry cast lead has never been able to play the role without laughing and covering his face, thanks to Mulaney’s last-minute cue card additions and Seth Meyers’ immaculate patience.

Lazy Sunday (The Lonely Island, Chris Parnell)

Chris Parnell was SNL’s resident rap star before the emergence of The Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer), which is why they asked him to collaborate on a music video about him and Samberg seeing The Chronicles of Narnia. As they recall in Variety’s oral history, “Lazy Sunday” made SNL Digital Shorts a celebrated event, skyrocketed The Lonely Island’s stardom, and, most importantly, dawned a new era of viral comedy.

The Coneheads (Dan Aykroyd)

In the book Live From New York: The Complete Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, Dan Aykroyd recalls how he was watching TV in a heightened state of mind, and he noticed that people’s heads rarely hit the top of the screen. This gave him the idea for a sketch about characters with noggins that are several inches taller than the average humans, who eventually became the out-of-this-world family known as The Coneheads. 

Celebrity Jeopardy! (Norm Macdonald)

As the late Norm Macdonald revealed to Howard Stern (via SoundCloud), we have SCTV to thank for "Celebrity Jeopardy!” The comedian — who also played Burt “Turd Ferguson” Reynolds — took inspiration from the Canadian sketch comedy series’ game show parody “Half Wits” when crafting this recurring bit featuring Will Ferrell as an Alex Trebek driven mad by absent-minded famous people and taunting from Sean Connery (Darrell Hammond).

Debbie Downer (Rachel Dratch And Paula Pell)

Rachel Dratch recalled to Salon that while vacationing she told someone at a communal dining table that she was from New York, to which the stranger replied, “Were you there for 9/11?” That ultimately inspired her to team up with Paula Pell — with whom she later reunited for Wine Country — to create the character Debbie Downer, whose debut SNL sketch did not go as planned, but was all the more memorable for it.

Spelling Bee (Will Forte)

On a Reddit AMA hosted by Will Forte (via AMATranscripts.com), one user asked if the actor’s insanely long misspelling of the word “business” in Season 31’s “Spelling Bee” was recited as written or all spontaneous. The MacGruber cast lead revealed that the bit originated from his days on the improv comedy troupe, The Groundlings, and that he would have listed off even more random letters in the SNL sketch if he wasn’t being directly followed by musical guest Neil Young.

The Ladies Man (Tim Meadows, Dennis McNicholas, and Andrew Steele)

A character as lewd and crude as Leon Phelps might not be so successful these days, but, then again, it’s hard not to be charmed by any role portrayed by Tim Meadows. While promoting the 2000 movie, The Ladies Man, the Mean Girls cast member revealed to The Crimson that the lispy voice was his biggest contribution to the character, who was initially conceived by Dennis McNicholas and Andrew Steele.

The Californians (Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, And James Anderson)

While speaking to Seth Meyers on Late Night, Bill Hader shared how he and Fred Armisen would kill time before table reads by mockingly describing how they would get around in LA while donning over-the-top West Coast accents. Sometime later, Hader learned that Armisen and writer James Anderson took that gag, made it into a soap opera, and, thus, “The Californians” was born.

Girl Watchers (Conan O'Brien, Robert Smigel, Bob Odenkirk, And Greg Daniels) 

Retired late-night talk show host Conan O’Brien actually came up with a few of Tom Hanks’ best SNL sketches, such as “Girl Watchers,” in which the Oscar winner and Jon Lovitz comment on their losing streak with the ladies with contrarian confidence. O’Brien shared on Dax Shepard’s podcast, Armchair Expert, how he jokingly demonstrated this characteristic on a whim while hanging out with fellow SNL writers Robert Smigel, Bob Odenkirk, and Greg Daniels, who all worked together to turn into the classic sketch.

Hans And Franz (Kevin Nealon And Dana Carvey)

While Arnold Schwarzenegger has never hosted SNL, he would make a cameo alongside fellow Austrian bodybuilders, Hans and Franz. It probably comes as no surprise that the Terminator star — who was even interested in doing the scrapped Hans and Franz movie — is also the inspiration for the characters. Kevin Nealon told Juice that it all started when he and Dana Carvey caught an interview with the actor on TV that compelled them to talk like him for days.

Diner Lobster (John Mulaney And Colin Jost)

Season 43’s “Diner Lobster” was an instant classic that started a tradition of Broadway-inspired sketches anytime John Mulaney hosts SNL, but its road to success was longer than you may think. The comedian and Weekend Update anchor Colin Jost revealed in a featurette that they actually wrote the sketch eight years earlier, but no one wanted to touch it at the time.

Lunch Lady Land (Adam Sandler, Bob Odenkirk, Tim Herlihy, And Allen Covert)

One of Adam Sandler and Chris Farley’s funniest collaborations was a musical sketch set to a song called “Lunch Lady Land,” which the Uncut Gems star did not write himself. According to Uproxx, his co-composers were Bob Odenkirk, Tim Herlihy (father of Please Don’t Destroy’s Martin Herlihy), and Allen Covert.

Weekend Update: The Iceberg On The Sinking Of The Titanic (Bowen Yang And Anna Drezen)

The bit that made Bowen Yang one of SNL’s biggest stars was his viral “Weekend Update” appearance as the Iceberg that sank Titanic, who believes he is the real victim of the tragedy. He spoke to former SNL star-turned-Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon about how writer Anna Drezen texted him about the concept months before they decided to give it a try, despite not having much faith in it at the time.

Mary Katherine Gallagher (Molly Shannon)

Apparently, an unnamed SNL writer did not believe that Molly Shannon’s character Mary Katherine Gallagher had a chance of making it onto the show, as she told People in 2015. Luckily, the nervous schoolgirl did make it onto air and the White Lotus cast member’s energy and commitment to the role made her a hit. Even Whitney Houston would agree to appear alongside this superstar.

What Up With That? (Kenan Thompson, Bryan Tucker, And Rob Klein)

According to Rolling Stone, Kenan Thompson — the longest-running SNL cast member — came up with an idea in 2009 for a talk show host who becomes obsessively unable to stop singing his own theme song. After bringing the idea to fellow writers Bryan Tucker and Rob Klein and teaming up with musical director Katrees Barnes for the song, the idea eventually made it onto the show as “What Up With That?” which became a recurring hit.

Target Lady (Kristen Wiig)

Academy Award-nominated SNL star Kristen Wiig could be the show’s greatest female cast member, judging purely on the amount of diverse characters she has brought to the table, such as “Target Lady.” She told James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio that the role — originally conceived for The Groundlings — was inspired by an actual Target cashier she met with an “eggy” voice.

Papyrus (Julio Torres)

Ryan Gosling gives one of his funniest performances ever in a pre-taped SNL bit as a man driven insane by the fact that the logo for one of the most popular movies of all time, Avatar, is just a modified version of the common font “Papyrus.” Julio Torres told EW that this was initially a joke he used in stand-up until the Oscar-nominated actor suggested turning it into the hilarious viral hit that even James Cameron responded to.

Super Bass-O-Matic ’76 (Dan Aykroyd)

A 12-year-old Dan Aykroyd once witnessed his aunt — a Canadian cooking show personality — dump a whole fish, bones and all, in a blender for a bouillabaisse. That story, which he revealed to The Food Channel, was his inspiration for one of his funniest faux infomercials, “Super Bass-O-Matic ’76.”

The Barry Gibb Talk Show (Jimmy Fallon, Steve Higgins, Ken Scarborough)

Out of Jimmy Fallon’s many great collaborations with Justin Timberlake, one of the funniest is “The Barry Gibb Talk Show.” While having the actual surviving Bee Gees as guests on Late Night, Fallon recalled how he and his future sidekick, Steve Higgins, actually crafted the sketch together with fellow writer Ken Scarborough, who went on to become the head writer of Sesame Street.

Foreign Man: Mighty Mouse (Andy Kaufman)

On the very first episode of SNL, Andy Kaufman appeared, nervously starring at the audience while playing the theme song to Mighty Mouse and only exhibiting a more confidant demeanor to lip-sync the lyric, “Here I come to save the day!” According to Fandom’s SNL wiki page, the very bizarre bit — something totally on brand for the legendary comedian — was a branch of his character known as “Foreign Man,” which was one of his earlier and most iconic acts.

If you have ever found yourself watching one of these classic SNL sketches and wondered who came up with these ideas and how, now you know.

While Saturday Night Live is constantly changing with the times, one segment that’s remained a constant throughout the decades is Weekend Update. The bit anchored by a cast member or two goes over the headlines of the week, and also features a cast of characters visiting the desk. From Bill Hader’s viral character Stefon and Gilda Radner’s legendary Roseanne Roseannadanna, the list of Weekend Update guests is extensive and incredible, here are 32 of the most iconic characters to appear on the SNL segment.

Stefon (Bill Hader) 

Do you need to know what “New York’s hottest club” is? Well, Bill Hader’s Stefon has you covered. Famously, this beloved character was written by Hader and John Mulaney, after he received a weird email, and the latter would add outrageous lines at the last minute to try and make the actor crack up. It almost always worked, leading to Stefon covering his hands with his face in that signature pose. Overall, the voice, the look, and all those absolutely wild club descriptions are what led to Stefon becoming one of the most iconic SNL characters. 

The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party (Cecily Strong) 

While I think it’s safe to say none of us would actually want to run into Cecily Strong’s The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party, when she showed up on Weekend Update to bug Seth Meyers, it sure was funny. Her sporadic thinking and sassy tone mixed with the fact that most people have probably been lured into a conversation like this makes her such a fabulous Update guest. 

The Iceberg On The Sinking Of The Titanic (Bowen Yang) 

For the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, Bowen Yang played the iceberg that sank it. However, the iceberg was not there to talk about the tragic event, he was there to promote his new album Music. Eventually, he defended himself though, because, as he put it, the boat “came to where I live, and you hit me.” It’s an ultra-sassy and completely iconic sketch that has easily become a modern SNL classic.

Pete Davidson 

SNL helped launch Pete Davidson’s career in TV and movies, and some of his best bits came when he showed up as himself on Weekend Update. He’d come on to talk about his own life, politics, and more, and every time he’d kill it with his signature sense of humor. 

Marcello Hernández

Before Marcello Hernández’s killer sketches with Bad Bunny made many realize he should be a full-time player, it was his Weekend Update bits that had me convinced he was going to be an SNL star. In his first season on the sketch show (Season 48) he made a few appearances at the desk as himself. His infectious energy and comedic physicality are hysterical.

The Trump Brothers (Mikey Day and Alex Moffat)  

During Donald Trump’s presidency, Alex Moffat played Eric Trump and Mikey Day played Donald Trump Jr., and they would come onto Weekend Update to discuss their father’s political career. Day’s brother takes over, and speaks in a fairly diplomatic way, while Moffat plays the other brother, who never says the right thing. And that’s all funny, but what makes this bit iconic is Eric trying to mimic his brother and his silly comments about his dad and the state of the world. 

Peyton Manning Explaining Emily In Paris

While he wasn’t an A-list host during this episode (although he did nail it when he hosted), Peyton Manning was brought on to Weekend Update as a guest to talk about football in 2022. However, he’d been binge-watching the new season of Emily in Paris, and he needed to talk about it. Using NFL lingo to describe the “plays” that were going on during the Netflix show, he's the last person you ever expected to describe this series, explained it, and the lessons he learned while watching, in the funniest way. To this day, if Emily in Paris is brought up, you better believe that Peyton Manning’s recap is also at the top of mind.

Drunk Uncle (Bobby Moynihan)

It’s highly likely we all know someone who is like Drunk Uncle, which is probably why he’s so funny. Typically, around the holidays, Bobby Moynihan would play this inebriated family member, and he’d come to lament to Seth Meyers about technological advancements, kids these days, and his general frustrations with how the world has changed. 

Sarah Sherman 

Every time Sarah Sherman rolls up to the Update desk, you know you're in for a treat, because she’s about to roast Colin Jost! Sherman and the ensemble of Season 47 were one of SNL’s best casts, and that’s in part because of how committed they are to their bits. And let me tell you, this is on full display when you see the hilarious camaraderie between Sherman and Jost as she absolutely demolishes him. 

Cathy Anne (Cecily Strong)

Any time there was major breaking news (that was typically political) the lady who was always yelling out Michael Che’s window, Cathy Anne, would come up to talk about it. Using a silly Southern accent and wild hand gestures, Cecily Strong’s character would share her hot takes, and some absolutely unhinged stories. 

The Devil (Jason Sudeikis) 

These days we know Jason Sudeikis as the titular character on one of Apple TV+’s best shows, Ted Lasso. However, before that, he was playing tons of fun characters on SNL, including this Weekend Update staple, The Devil. He’d come on to talk about the controversial news of the week, and how it’s impacting his work as the leader of the underworld. 

Trend Forecasters (Aidy Bryant and Bowen Yang) 

If you need to know what is “in” and “out,” Aidy Bryant and Bowen Yang’s Trend Forecasters are here to help. The two self-proclaimed trendy characters would come on Update to aggressively go over the trends of the season, and passionately tell the audience what is “in,” before looking deep into the camera and dramatically explaining what is “out.” 

Garth and Kat (Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig) 

Even though Garth and Kat were never prepared, they were always hysterical, and that’s why Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig’s musical bit worked so well. For years, they’d show up at the desk to sing some holiday songs, however, the catch was, that they were never written in advance. What resulted was hilariously chaotic improvised tunes that only these two incredible comedians could have come up with. 

Jacob Silj (Will Ferrell)

Jacob Silj is the state department attache who suffers from voice immodulation. This means whenever Will Ferrell’s character came on to update the world about the state of politics he couldn’t control the pitch or volume of his voice. 

Nicolas Cage and Nicolas Cage (Andy Samberg and Nicolas Cage)

“Get in the Cage with Nicolas Cage” had been an ongoing bit Andy Samberg did for a long time, and then, in 2012, the legendary actor joined him for it. However, the twist is, the real Nicolas Cage is playing a clone of himself, and Samberg’s version is the “real” version. However, throughout the sketch, the real actor, who is well aware he’s a meme legend, roasts both himself and the comedian's impression of him. 

Jebidiah Atkinson (Taran Killam) 

Taran Killam’s 1860s newspaper critic Jebidiah Atkinson would appear from time to time to chat about his passionate takes on both historic moments, like the Gettysburg Address, and more modern pop culture topics, like holiday movies. His opinions were brutal and hysterical, and every moment was always topped off with him aggressively yelling “Next!” and throwing his note card into the wind.  

Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song

“Put on your yarmulke, it’s time for Hanukkah!” Adam Sandler sang in 1994 to celebrate the Jewish holiday. During the tune, the comedian names various celebrities who are Jewish, half Jewish, a quarter Jewish and not Jewish to an extremely catchy melody.  It was a hit then, and it’s a hit now. Even after all these years, Sandler sings his legendary song live, and it’s always present during SNL’s holiday specials. Talk about iconic.

Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy (Vanessa Bayer)

It was always fun when Seth Meyers would welcome his podiatrist’s son, Jacob, to teach the audience about Judaism. Vanessa Bayer played the nervous boy who would bring his little folder to the desk, nervously read it, and then crack some cheesy, yet brilliant, jokes.  

Tim Calhoun (Will Forte) 

Will Forte’s soft-spoken Tim Calhoun would appear on Weekend Update every once in a while to explain why everyone should vote for him for president. However, the thing is, he’s not that good at talking, he would occasionally use song lyrics to convey a point, and he tended to lose his place in his notecards while speaking directly into the microphone using a very funny ASMR-like voice. 

Guy Who Just Bought A Boat And Guy Who Just Joined Soho House (Alex Moffat and Ryan Gosling)

While Ryan Gosling has been serving Ken-ergy ever since Barbie, he was also unintentionally showing off big Ken energy long before he got the role. This happened when he joined Alex Moffat on Weekend Update to play Guy Who Just Bought A Boat’s friend, Guy Who Just Joined Soho House. Greta Gerwig even admitted that she saw his potential to play Ken through his performances on SNL on the SmartLess podcast, specifically referencing this great Weekend Update bit where these two sleazy dudes talk about their bougie lives.  

Roseanne Roseannadanna (Gilda Radner)

One of Gilda Radner’s greatest SNL sketches was her bit as Update’s health correspondent Roseanne Roseannadanna, especially when she came on to talk about smoking. Yelling to the camera, Radner would give audience members advice and tell stories as her outspoken correspondent. Her character is so legendary Emma Stone even recreated the OG Update personality for SNL’s 40th reunion. 

Bennett Brauer (Chris Farley)

Chris Farley’s character Bennett Brauer rolled up to the desk to tell Kevin Nealon his latest commentary. Using lots of air quotes, he spent the majority of his segment commenting on himself, until he quite literally flew away. In true Farley fashion, it was a physical comedy masterclass.

Opera Man (Adam Sandler)

If you want to have your news sung to you, Adam Sandler’s Opera Man has you covered. With a thick accent, a white handkerchief and some very useful captions, the performer relayed the current events, ending every phrase with “oh” so they all rhymed. 

A Grumpy Old Man (Dana Carvey) 

He’s “old” and he’s “not happy” about the world being “improved.” Dana Carvey’s Grumpy Old Man bit has big “back in my day we had to walk uphill both ways” energy, and he brought that aggressive vibe to the Update Desk in the funniest ways. 

Baby Yoda (Kyle Mooney)

Whenever there was Star Wars news to talk about, Kyle Mooney’s Baby Yoda would visit the Update desk to chat about his fame and success. The over-the-top prosthetics the comedian wore were truly impressive and juxtaposed with Baby Yoda’s hype beast mentality, the bit is hysterical. 

Dr. Wenowdis (Kate McKinnon)

Any time Weekend Update needed a medical expert, especially in 2020 or 2021, Kate McKinnon’s Dr. Wenowdis would show up to tell us if “Wenowdis” or “this, we do not nowdis.” While the bit itself is very funny as the comedian talked about various medical situations, what makes it iconic is when both McKinnon and Colin Jost would break and start laughing over it all. 

Bailey Gismert (Heidi Gardner)

Heidi Gardner’s Bailey Gismert is Update’s teen movie critic, and she’s the star of her YouTube channel “Bailey at the Movies.” She’s kind of a nervous wreck, but what teen wouldn’t be if they ended up on Weekend Update? And while she’s there to talk about movies, it almost always ends with her trying to flirt with Michael Che. 

Leslie Jones

Over the course of Leslie Jones' run on Saturday Night Live she appeared on Weekend Update to share her thoughts on topics like “her perfect man,” “vacation,” “being hacked,” “summer beach bodies,” and so much more. She was also the segment’s “relationship expert,” and her commentary on love, dating and relationships was always entertaining. 

Emily Litella (Gilda Radner)

During the first season of SNL, Gilda Radner’s Emily Litella would appear on Update to give her editorial replies. However, she typically misunderstood what she was responding to, which would lead to her creating a response centered around the wrong topic, like violins instead of violence, for example. 

Rebecca LaRue (Kristen Wiig)

If you need a flirting expert, Rebecca LaRue probably isn’t your gal, despite her title, but boy is she funny. During the viral SNL sketch, Kristen Wiig used her physical comedy skills to make the audience crack up as she waved her arms in the air, winked constantly, and tried desperately to flirt with Seth Meyers.

Tommy Flanagan (Jon Lovitz) 

Jon Lovitz’s Tommy Flanagan, the president of Pathological Liars, would come on Weekend Update to talk about the news and how lies play into them. The thing is, he’s also lying the whole entire time.  

Mr. Subliminal (Kevin Nealon) 

Before he started anchoring Weekend Update, Kevin Nealon played Mr. Subliminal. As he shared his take on news, at the end of each sentence, he’d share his hot takes by sliding in one-word quips. 

As you can see, there are so many iconic characters played by legendary comedians, actors and even athletes. Weekend Update has been a constant on Saturday Night Live since the beginning, and it along with the cast of characters who sit at the desk, help make the sketch comedy show what it is. 

There are just as many great and popular Saturday Night Live sketches as there are segments that are not remembered quite as fondly. However, there also exists a strange middle ground of sketches that seem so one-note and infantile that we should feel like our time is wasted, but we don't. This is because the bizarre nature of the bit or even just one unique key component or moment makes it all feel enjoyable and worthwhile. We actually managed to come up with many examples of SNL sketches we believe you will enjoy while not quite understanding why.

Angelo (Season 47)

While he only made it one season on SNL, Aristotle Athari still had an ultra-memorable recurring character whose whole premise seemed like it would get old immediately after his Season 47 debut. Yet, somehow, international lounge singer Angelo’s improvisational songs — all nearly identical ramblings of gibberish — get big laughs every time. Maybe he truly is the genius they say he is.

SNL Digital Short: Anger Problem (Season 32) 

In their infancy, the SNL Digital Shorts were, dare we say, plagued by a shabbily random structure, like this one involving an unstable fast food manager (Fred Armisen), an exploding head mannequin, and a holiday greeting in the Lost font — supposedly in reference to host and Lost cast member Matthew Fox. Armisen’s commitment to every ludicrous threat at his employees — complete with an estimated time of attack — is what keeps this bit amusing.

Chandeliers (Season 31)

This sketch pokes fun at local ads for specialty shops from a few different angles — such as promoting the titular ceiling installation as the highway to a fancy lifestyle and an awkward attempt to include the store owners’ child (host Scarlett Johansson). Above all, however, the funniest part about the sketch might be Fred Armisen’s pronunciation of “chandelier” with a heavy Brooklyn accent.

SNL Digital Short: Daiquiri Girl (Season 33)

This Digital Short — framed as a creepy dude’s (Andy Samberg) poorly produced musical tribute to a woman who shares his love of daiquiris — kind of cheats its way onto this list. It apologetically acknowledges its own objective flaws with a cheeky text scroll explaining that musical guest Gnarls Barkley backed out of the original plan, forcing the creators to turn to alcohol for inspiration.

SNL Digital Short: The Date (Season 35) 

The joke here initially seems to be based on the unlikelihood of a woman, like host Megan Fox, dating a guy as strange as Will Forte’s character, until she appears to like him for being a S.W.A.T. team commander and his heart-wrenching confession about selling his pet lambs’ meat. The twist that even he would refuse to marry her is a bit predictable, but Forte’s unsettling manner of speaking and his tendency to turn his emotions on a dime at least keeps your attention.

Fart Face (Season 34)

When you establish the main idea of a sketch — in this case, a veteran office worker begrudgingly nicknamed “Fart Face” — and the audience responds with dead silence, you know you are in trouble, especially when this playground insult is repeated enough times to play a potentially fatal drinking game with. Leave it to host Josh Brolin to give the bit a slight boost by incorporating the same level of professionalism we have seen in all his best movies though to make it funny.

Haunted Elevator (Ft. David S. Pumpkins) (Season 42)

It is easy to understand why, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Tom Hanks was initially hesitant to play the very bewildering David S. Pumpkins. However, it is equally easy to see how the incomprehensibly charismatic goof instantly became one of Hanks’ most iconic SNL characters. After our first interaction with the silly character, he would also return with his skeleton friends (Bobby Moynihan and Mikey Day) in an animated Halloween special and a Season 48 sequel sketch. 

The Herlihy Boy House-Sitting Service (Season 19)

Sometimes, just putting Chris Farley and Adam Sandler on stage together was enough to ensure comedy gold. I think with any two other SNL cast members, this sketch — starring Sandler as a house-sitter desperate for work and Farley as his extremely supportive boss (or father or rehab sponsor, maybe?) — would have crumbled underneath its thin concept.

SNL Digital Short: Hey! (Murray Hill) (Season 34)

In the history of SNL Digital Shorts sending up modern teen TV dramas, some have been refreshingly clever (i.e., “Dear Sister"), while others offer nothing of the sort. Like this one in which the only joke is that James Franco’s character has a “tiny ding-dong.” If not for the Gossip Girl cast member Blake Lively’s rejuvenating cameo at the end, this Murray Hill episode would have been completely lost in obscurity.

Holes (Season 44)

This musical video in the style of a ‘90s power ballad is just a little too repetitive to earn the honor of being a classic, even with a guitar-shredding Adam Sander flashing some dirty, protrusive teeth for some reason. However, its concept about clothes technically counting as holes with the purpose of covering holes on the human anatomy is oddly fascinating.

I'll See You In Hell (Season 21)

By the end of this sketch — in which Joe (Jim Carrey) gets addicted to saying, “I’ll see you in Hell,” after its use on a thieving colleague earns him respect in the office — you’ll never want to hear the phrase again. That being said, Carrey keeps the one-joke bit somewhat fresh with a new take on the insult almost every time, and the final punchline is not bad either.

Joker Wedding (Season 48)

For the first half of this sketch — in which a Halloween wedding ceremony is nearly ruined by the best man (Andrew Dismukes) dressing as Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight — it seems like the only point is hearing “Joker” repeated ad nauseam. It takes a pretty fun turn, however, when the guests vote on his right to keep the costume Survivor-style, complete with a Jeff Probst cameo.

SNL Digital Short: Lettuce (Season 31)

While the legendary “Lazy Sunday” was The Lonely Island’s breakout SNL moment, their official, much-forgotten debut digital short was “Lettuce.” Honestly, we don’t blame anyone for subconsciously blocking out this bit — nothing more than Andy Samberg and Will Forte discussing a personal tragedy between big bites of leafy green vegetables — but if you can find it, you might find yourself unable to look away.

The Librarian (Season 42)

I imagine the pitch here was, “Let’s make Margot Robbie disgusting!” Well, we can’t say they didn’t nail it, and with some ideas that we truly did not see coming — eating a banana peel, “straight-up murder,” and the random appearance of Beck Bennett with a snake. Plus, setting the scenario to the iconic movie song, Yello’s “Oh Yeah,” from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is an inspired choice.

Meatballs (Season 47)

Maybe it is not entirely fair to call this pre-taped, partially musical bit “terrible” since the concept of a woman (Sarah Sherman) with singing meatballs on her skin is pretty inventive and heightened by the participation of host Oscar Isaac and musical guest Charlie XCX. It’s just that it’s pretty gross and, therefore, not the easiest thing to sit through for the more squeamish.

SNL Digital Short: My Testicles (Season 31)

The subject matter of this ‘90s dance music parody featuring a Right Said Fred-esque duo called Ariel (Andy Samberg) and Efrim (Tom Hanks) makes us thoroughly uncomfortable and their inability to rhyme a single lyric is cringeworthy. Yet, we cannot stop watching it and can’t help but chuckle every time.  

Rap Roundtable (Season 46)

Nunya Bizness (Ego Nwodim) hosts a panel of hip-hop artists including Queen Latifah (Punkie Johnson), Questlove (as himself), and a fresh, young duo (Pete Davidson and Timothée Chalamet) whose primary contribution to the conversation is the sounds “yeet” and “skirt.” Admittedly, some of their mindless ramblings earn a chuckle or two, but Questlove slapping Davidson and then striking Chalamet’s character with his hair pick are the most satisfying moments.

Ratatouille (Season 46)

In our opinion, the night John Krasinski hosted SNL for the first time was what we might call a “terrible, yet amazing” episode, especially with this sketch. It’s a far less kid-friendly take on one of the best Pixar movies, Ratatouille, and instead of a rat helping a man with his performance in the kitchen, this rat helps Krasinski’s character with his performance in bed.

SNL Digital Short: Roy Rules! (Season 32)

Early on, it’s easy to write off this musical short in which Andy Samberg professes his unhealthy attraction toward his sister’s husband, Roy, as an egregiously raunchy one-joke throwaway bit. However, you start to see the clip in a whole new light when Andy reveals the segment is a prank on his actual brother-in-law, as he confirmed in an IGN interview in 2012. 

Potato Chip (Season 35)

When choosing SNL sketches we believed were both terrible and amazing, the first one we thought of was this thoroughly peculiar bit in which an aspiring astronaut (Jason Sudeikis) blows his chance when he steals a potato chip from a NASA recruiter’s (Will Forte) desk. For one, everyone's commitment to this asinine concept — especially host Blake Lively — is legendary, but what really takes it over the edge is when Sudeikis physically returns the chip he ate.

Short Term Memory Loss Theater (Season 38)

This is one of those sketches that is actually enhanced — dare we say, saved — by someone who couldn't stop laughing during a sketch. In this case, it was Bill Hader as a doctor who must constantly assist his patients afflicted with short-term memory loss with their lines in a play. Otherwise, the joke might have gotten too old and too fast, leaving no bearing on our memory.

Spelling Bee (Season 31)

Will Forte plays a young spelling bee contestant so nervous that he spends well over a minute spouting random letters (mostly “q’s”) while attempting to spell the word “business.” It’s a very simple premise, but Forte’s stone-cold, deadpan delivery actually keeps it afloat, and the Tenacious D cameo is a perfect way to end it.

Suitcase Boy (Season 11)

In an otherwise forgettable moment from one of SNL’s most infamous seasons, Robert Downey Jr. performs a “confrontational monologue” while housed in a suitcase for no discernible reason. The one incoherent ramble we found unintentionally interesting was when the future MCU star mentioned that he learned why whales beach themselves from Spider-Man.

Technology Hump: Emma Stone (Season 37)

This sketch featuring Andy Samberg and host Emma Stone is actually just one edition of a recurring bit in which smartphones, cameras, and other forms of technology are used to simulate intimate romance scenarios. Why? We have no idea. Why do we find it entertaining? Still totally stumped.

Waking Up (Season 48)

Pedro Pascal could not help but laugh on SNL a few times during his hosting debut, including in this sketch in which he comes out of a coma with a strange new personality and an even stranger voice. While you could see the voice as a bit annoying, the dialogue maddeningly low-brow, and the entire concept pretty lifeless, it's honestly so hilarious, and that's because the Last of Us cast member makes it charming.

What The Hell Is That? (Season 5)

We have little interest in watching two brainless individuals take turns expressing their bewilderment over an unidentifiable object without any context. We do, however, love Bill Murray (seemingly debuting his Caddyshack character here) and Steve Martin (arguably the all-time greatest SNL host), whose collaboration saves this otherwise empty bit.

America's Funniest Pets (Season 42)

Cecily Strong and Kate McKinnon play hosts of a French show presenting funny homemade clips of domestic animals who prove to have a dark sense of humor (or lack thereof) when visiting its American version. What makes the mostly one-joke premise particularly memorable, however, is that the American host is Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard, portrayed with an overly-animated impersonation by a star of many Ron Howard movies, Tom Hanks.

Big Dumb Hat (Season 48)

This sketch, featuring host Amy Schumer, quickly begins to suffer from being as irritating as the titular fashion trend it is poking fun at. Luckily, it does earn some solid chuckles for a few jokes about the kind of people who do wear “Big Dumb Hats” that, as anyone who knows this kind of person can support, are pretty spot on.

Sarcasm 101 (Season 23)

Host Matthew Perry essentially plays Chandler Bing in this classroom sketch, technically making it one of three Friends parodies from this episode alone (including the monologue), for which we deduct points. Also, many of the funniest moments from this lesson in smart-alecky behavior come courtesy of the late Norm Macdonald, but in ways that almost seem unintentional from his broken cadence, giving the bit a thoroughly awkward aura.

Patrick Kelly and Gunther Kelly (Season 28)

This is actually one of several segments in which Patrick (Will Forte) and Gunther Kelly (Fred Armisen) appear on “Weekend Update” to inform people of a pressing topic with a song that actually offers no valuable information, save Forte’s ability to hit some crazy high notes. We chose to highlight this song asking viewers to “listen up” about SARS because, out of all their greatest hits, it is the weirdest and most irritating, but perhaps the biggest banger, too.

Steve's Beanie Babies (Season 47)

We’d call Lizzo a non-actor who nailed her SNL hosting gig, especially in how her uncontrollable laughter likely enhanced this sketch in which she plays the wife of a man (Andrew Dismukes) who freaks out after learning his Beanie Babies collection is worthless. The ensuing revelation of how he quit his job (talking through his butt like Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura) and ludicrous aspiration to make a living drawing Nintendo’s Mario feel so half-heartedly wedged in, but its the ludicrousness of the situation that also earns laughs.

In retrospect, maybe being a little awkward and bizarre is exactly what makes an SNL a classic.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Strays. If you have not yet seen the film, proceed at your own risk!

At the end of the first act in the new comedy Strays, a promise of sorts is made to the audience. Reggie, a Border Terrier voiced by Will Ferrell, announces to a new group of canine friends that it is his intention to bite off the penis of his former owner, Doug (played by Will Forte), and it’s such a wild proposition that you just know that the movie is going to pull it off.

Sure enough, Strays does feature a climax with Reggie chomping on a scrotum – and there’s a fun story behind how the production pulled off the violent ending using real dogs.

I had the pleasure of interviewing director Josh Greenbaum last week during the virtual press day for Strays, and after digging into how little CGI is used by the production and how the movie’s best cameo came together, we took a venture into spoiler territory. I asked the filmmaker to explain how the whole sequence was orchestrated, and he began by noting that he always knew the sequence had to be the adventure’s biggest moment. Said Greenbaum,

At the end of Strays, Reggie returns to his suburban home with Bug (Jamie Foxx), Maggie (Isla Fisher) and Hunter (Randall Park), and the protagonist confronts his former owner about his past abuse. A scuffle ensues, but before too long, Doug is left injured on his back in the middle of his living room. On opposite sides of him, Bug and Maggie each take a mouthful of pant leg and spread his legs akimbo, and Reggie goes to town on his crotch. And to add insult to injury, Hunter lines his haunches up over Doug’s face and lets loose with his bowels.

It’s a nasty, violent, and funny sequence, and Josh Greenbaum credits dog trainer Mathilde de Cagny for figuring out how to get the dog playing Reggie to attack Will Forte’s penis. As the director noted, it was partially a matter of taking advantage of what Border Terriers are bred to do:

The action was trained in correspondence with a verbal command, and while Josh Greenbaum couldn’t remember exactly what was said to get the dog to jump at Will Forte’s groin, he recalled having a moment of pondering his career when he heard what the trainers said to get the animal actors to hump. Greenbaum continued,

Clearly Josh Greenbaum knew it was funny, but he got immediate affirmation from his crew on set as well. Laughs were evidently erupting all around set as people from different departments watched the carnage and appreciating the “saint-“ like qualities of Will Forte (who didn’t abandon his responsibilities and let a stunt actor have all the fun). Said the director,

Or to sum it up briefly: it’s movie magic.

Featuring a stellar voice cast, Strays is now playing in theaters everywhere, and for a look ahead at all of the films set to be released between now and the end of the year, head over to our 2023 Movie Release Calendar.

Remember that time MacGruber had a Super Bowl commercial? It was all the way back in 2009, and it featured sketch regulars Will Forte and Kristen Wiig, along with the original MacGyver himself Richard Dean Anderson. Some fans loved it. Those out of the loop were mostly confused. Upon further review, it turns out it almost didn’t happen.

Will Forte appeared on Dana Carvey and David Spade’s podcast Fly On The Wall earlier this week (though it was filmed prior to the strike) and the subject of Richard Dean Anderson came up. Carvey has apparently been watching Stargate with his son and asked about Forte working alongside him for the Super Bowl commercial, and apparently there’s a much more complicated story behind it than I realized.

According to Forte, Pepsi originally approached Lorne Michaels and said they’d like to turn one of the recurring sketches into a Super Bowl commercial. The longtime SNL headman went back and said he’d like to do MacGruber, and they said thanks but no thanks. Instead of bailing, however, Michaels and Forte decided to just film the commercials anyway and try to convince Pepsi after they were done. Here’s a portion of his quote…

Forte and company filmed three commercials for the big game. Pepsi liked them enough to move forward with the project, but only one of them ultimately aired during the broadcast. In fact, the company reportedly didn’t decide to air one of them until days before The Super Bowl. The rest of them ultimately ran on Saturday Night Live itself as commercials attached to the show, and they are utterly outrageous. One even features Forte saying Pepsi over and over again with different inflections, sorta like John Malkovich in Being John Malkovich. 

In addition to having a Super Bowl commercial, which must be pretty freaking amazing, one of the highlights for Forte was working with Richard Dean Anderson. He said he couldn’t have been nicer and immediately made it clear he was a big fan of the MacGruber sketches and watched them with his 10 year old daughter, which was prefect then but maybe not as much after the movie came out and got way way raunchier. Here’s what he said…

Early in the interview, Carvey and Spade talked about doing research on Forte ahead of the interview (even though they’d all met thanks to SNL), and they said they came across a website describing Forte’s humor as “bizarre.” They saw it as a compliment, and I couldn’t agree more. No one else is like Will Forte, and if you want a reminder of that, check him out in the recently released Strays, which is, of course bizarre.

Though some think Hollywood should hit pause on live-action talking animal movies, it doesn’t look like the trend is going to slow down anytime soon. The latest addition to the collection of talking dog films, Josh Greenbaum’s Strays, is now playing in theaters and brings with it an R-rated story and a star-studded group of actors who bring the adorable (and not-so-adorable) pooches to life.

As seen in the first Strays trailer, this isn’t as family-friendly as the best dog movies on Disney+, but that's okay, as the foul-mouthed canine-centric comedy gives the actors and comedians who portray its main characters plenty of time to do what they do best: make us laugh. If you’ve recently watched the 2023 new movie and want to know where you’ve seen the Strays cast before, look no further…

Reggie (Will Ferrell)

Leading off the Strays cast as Reggie, a recently abandoned Border Terrier, is Will Ferrell in his latest voice role.

Prior to providing the voice for a gullible pup who makes a new life (and a sweet revenge plan) on the streets with a group of stray dogs, the former Saturday Night Live mainstay portrayed characters in animated movies like Curious George, Megamind, and The LEGO Movie. Outside of the realm of animation (and popular SNL skits), the comedic actor has done a little bit of everything, with several of Ferrell’s funniest performances also being some of the best comedies of all time like Elf, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers. 

Bug (Jamie Foxx)

Taking Reggie under his wing, er, paw, is a street-smart Boston Terrier that goes by the name of Bug, who is portrayed by none other than Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx.

The actor, who played large roles in some of the best movies of the 2000s, has been a major force in Hollywood for decades at this point in his career thanks to unforgettable performances in everything from Dreamgirls to Django Unchained and Booty Call to Spider-Man: No Way Home. Though he took home Best Actor for his unforgettable portrayal of the titular character in Ray, there are also several other Foxx performances deserving of an Oscar. 

Maggie (Isla Fisher)

Next up is Isla Fisher, who joins the cast as Maggie, an Australian Shepherd who runs in the same pack as Reggie and Bug while on their wild escapades. Just like her co-stars, this is the latest in a long line of voice roles for the Australian actress.

Over the years, Fisher has appeared in animated movies like Horton Hears a Who!, Rise of the Guardians, Back to the Outback, and the outstanding Rango, as well as multiple small-screen cartoons. However, the actress is probably best remembered for starring roles in Confessions of a Shopaholic, Now You See Me, and Wedding Crashers, to name only a few. Fisher has also given commanding performances in the likes of Nocturnal Animals, The Great Gatsby, and Blithe Spirit throughout her career.

Hunter (Randall Park)

Rounding out the pack of pooches with mouths like sailors in the Strays cast is a therapy Great Dane named Hunter voiced by Randall Park, who you may remember from a number of his best performances, including a brief appearance as “Asian Jim” in a ridiculous prank on The Office.

Park’s involvement with the movie comes after a string of other voice roles, including a small part in the Paw Patrol: The Movie cast a couple of years ago, which followed other animated movies like The Lego Ninjago Movie and The Samurai of Tsushima as well as a string of animated shows that includes Star Trek: Lower Decks, BoJack Horseman, and Human Resources.

Also, Park is in the middle of an impressive 2023, which has included his directorial debut with Shortcomings, a reprisal of his Jimmy Woo role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (with The Marvels to follow), and the upcoming release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. 

Doug (Will Forte)

One of the few human characters to appear in our breakdown of the Strays cast, Will Forte shows up in the movie as Doug, Reggie’s former owner who’s the impetus for the dog’s revenge scheme to begin with.

Like Ferrell, Forte made a name for himself on Saturday Night Live, spending most the 2000s as a member of the show’s cast. In the years that have followed his 2010 departure from the sketch comedy program, the comedian and actor has gone on to appear on shows like The Last Man on Earth, The Great North, The Cleveland Show, 30 Rock, and countless others. His list of film credits is just as impressive, with everything from Nebraska to Booksmart and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story to Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. He’s even appeared in one of the best SNL movies, MacGruber, in which he portrayed his classic character from the show. 

Dennis Quaid As Himself

Continuing the tradition of actors playing themselves in movies, Dennis Quaid appears as, believe or not, himself, or at least a version of himself, as seen in the second teaser trailer.

Quaid’s career is one that goes back nearly 50 years, and during that time, he’s appeared in everything from over-the-top end-of-the-world disaster thrillers like The Day After Tomorrow to funny family movies like the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, and so much more. His versatile list of credits also includes The Right Stuff, Great Balls of Fire, Traffic, and A Dog’s Purpose, another pup-based movie, though also one with a much different tone. 

Other Actors In The Strays Cast

In addition to the main actors who either provide the voice of a character or appear in a live-action role in the movie, the Strays cast also includes some other major stars whose roles weren’t officially disclosed ahead of the films’ August 2023 release. 

This includes Frozen and Beauty and the Beast standout Josh Gad, former Modern Family star Sofia Vergara, Blue Beetle cast member Harvey Guillén, Stranger Things all-star Brett Gelman, legendary Seinfeld actor Rob Riggle, and Fleabag actor Jamie Demetriou.

Strays is currently showing in theaters nationwide. Before heading to the cineplex, check out what CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg had to say in his Strays review.

This box office has provided plenty of family-friendly options for moviegoers this summer, but when Will Ferrell’s new talking-dog comedy Strays hits the big screen on August 18, parents should fight the urge to bring the kids along. Audiences are apparently in for some foul language as terrier Reggie (Ferrell) joins up with a band of misfit dogs to seek revenge on his former owner Doug (Will Forte). Critics have been able to screen the movie, so they’re here to share their expert opinions on what we can expect from the R-rated comedy. And yes, there will be humping.

Will Ferrell will be joined by Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher and Randall Park as the voices of the four-legged characters. Director Josh Greenbaum allowed the cast to record together to take full advantage of their comedic chemistry, so let’s see what the critics have to say. In CinemaBlend’s review of Strays, Eric Eisenberg says the canine performances are impressive, if not hilarious, and the movie is at its best when leaning into its R-rating. However, it relies too much on dog cliches, he says, giving it 3 out of 5 stars and writing: 

Neil Smith of GamesRadar rates the movie 2 out of 5 stars, saying the movie quickly loses its humor amidst its jokes about peeing, pooping and humping. The critic says: 

Leigh Monson of AV Club agrees that there is humor to be found, but in the end Strays is not less tired than movies like Homeward Bound that it seeks to ridicule. Monsoon gives it a C+, saying:

A.A. Dowd of IGN agrees with the critic above, ranking the film an “Okay” 6 out of 10. Strays’ bark is worse than its bite, Dowd writes, pointing out that this movie is just as formulaic and sentimental as the movies it’s looking to lampoon. He continues: 

Brian Truitt of USA TODAY, however, enjoys the “hilarious, heartwarming and outrageously filthy” dog-centered comedy, giving it 3 out of 4 stars. The humor is matched by an emotional storyline, with Truitt saying Strays is “like Homeward Bound with masturbation jokes and randy squirrels.” He writes: 

It sounds like there are plenty of laughs (and plenty of filth) in the upcoming Will Ferrell comedy, as long as audiences aren’t looking for any groundbreaking takes on a dog’s sensibilities. Overall the ratings seem to fall mid-range, with Strays holding a Rotten Tomatoes score of 56 percent from 43 critics’ responses as of this writing. 

If you’d like to check this one out in theaters, you can do so starting Friday, August 18. You can also check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what other offerings are coming soon. 

Talking-animal movies are a genre all to themselves. The class of the group probably belongs to Homeward Bound, a very sweet story of survival as three domesticated animals try to get back home to their family. It’s one of the best dog movies available on Disney+ at the moment. Other times, the “talking animal” concept is used for laughs, like in Zookeeper with Kevin James, or the Brendan Fraser feature Furry Vengeance. Those were aimed at kids and families. Strays most certainly is not. The upcoming feature by Josh Greenbaum follows a stranded dog (voiced by Will Ferrell) on an unusual mission that gets discussed in the new, hilarious trailer. Press play and see.

Josh Greenbaum is a red-hot director. Coming off of the smash hit Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar, built around the sharp combination of Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, Greenbaum could have parlayed that success into almost any project he’d choose. And he told CinemaBlend that he had a stack of scripts at his fingertips. But there was something about the logline for Strays that caught his eye, and wouldn’t let him move past it. Greenbaum told us:

To me, the lure of Strays is the vocal talent involved. The upcoming Will Ferrell movie casts the former SNL star as an adorable and faithful pup who teams with Jamie Foxx and Isla Fisher to get revenge on his terrible owner (Will Forte) for stranding him somewhere far from home. Greenbaum let his cast record their comedy together, and play off of each other, to put some hysterical improvisations into the actions of animals on screen. 

Strays won’t be coming to theaters until June, meaning you will have to use our guide to upcoming 2023 movies to find something else to watch while you wait for it. And if you have a Hulu subscription, make sure that you have caught up on Greenbaum’s Barb and Star, because that contemporary comedic classic shows exactly the type of humor that he can bring to the time-honored talking-dog template. And with the cast he has in tow, I can’t wait to see the full-length version of the story we got in that trailer today.

The Looney Tunes got back to the action last summer for Space Jam: A New Legacy alongside LeBron James to an overall mixed response. Warner Bros is currently getting ready to move the spotlight to Wile E. Coyote for a live-action/animation hybrid film called Coyote vs. Acme starring John Cena, and some more talent has just signed on as well. 

Following the conclusion of Netflix’s All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy last year, Lana Condor has found another high-profile project in her role in Coyote vs. Acme. The 24-year-old actress from Netflix's To All The Boys film series is all set to join the upcoming movie, although we don’t know which character she’ll play. 

In the Deadline report naming Lana Condor as a star in Coyote vs. Acme, it was also announced that Saturday Night Live veteran Will Forte has been cast. Forte will play Wile E. Coyote’s lawyer against his “intimidating former boss”, played by Cena. The movie will follow the popular Looney Tune hiring a billboard lawyer to sue the ACME corporation. As viewers of the cartoon know, Wile E. Coyote is always being let down by the conglomerate's products whilst trying to take down the Road Runner. 

Coyote vs. Acme is based on the New Yorker humor article of the same name by Ian Frazier. It’s quite the random and original idea for Warner Bros to take on in concern to its Looney Tunes legacy. Are we to believe we’re getting a Looney Tunes courtroom comedy? That, plus the compilation of Peacemaker star John Cena, Will Forte and Lana Condor, and this is quite the project that's been put together. 

The idea first went into development back in 2010, and was then revived in 2014 with Steve Carell on board as the star before being announced again in 2018. The project has seemingly fallen through multiple times and seen many different eyes on it, but nowadays Dave Green is set to direct the movie after previously helming 2014’s Earth to Echo and 2016’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. 

Coyote vs. Acme is being produced by James Gunn, who famously made the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, along with his recent turn to DC for The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. That might explain John Cena’s involvement, as he worked closely with Gunn on the spinoff series Peacemaker, which is available to watch with an HBO Max subscription. 

It’ll especially be great to see Lana Condor take on another big project following her romantic comedy franchise. Previously, she was in X-Men: Apocalypse and Alita: Battle Angel, which were not necessarily big hits all around, despite being big-budget projects. Coyote vs. Acme has a release date set for July 21, 2023, so it looks like this time it’s for real: Wile E. Coyote is taking ACME to court. 

Will Forte returned to host Saturday Night Live for the first time last night, and the former cast member used his monologue to hilariously complain about all of his former co-stars who were asked to return before him. That list includes Kristen Wiig, who has been invited back to host multiple times. She surprised the crowd with an appearance during Forte’s intro, and she stuck around during the show and appeared in multiple sketches with her longtime co-star. Not surprisingly, the sketches featuring the two got really weird.

The most talked about of those sketches obviously was MacGruber. The two spun off their absurd characters into both a movie and a series on Peacock; so, it was widely assumed at least Will Forte would bring back his old favorite when he hosted. He did and thankfully Kristen Wiig joined him, along with Ryan Phillippe. In the newest versions, MacGruber is now an anti-vaxxer who wants no part of wearing a mask and sports a fake vaccine card. You can watch the very on-brand for MacGruber madness below…

Like MacGruber, Will Forte always thrives when taking things as far as possible. He absolutely loves weirdness and loves pushing the joke as far as possible. He thrives off playing characters that are socially unaware and/ or just complete weirdos. That’s probably why Saturday Night Live had him playing the other dude in a married couple threesome last night. I mean look at how long he shakes the bed in this sketch. Just utter madness in the best way. But even amidst creepy weirdos and old timey movie characters, probably the weirdest place he went last night was alongside Kristen Wiig when they brought back out Clancy T Bachleratt and Jackie Snad.

If you’re asking yourself who the hell is that, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Forte and Wiig played the characters in a sketch alongside Seth Rogen all the way back in 2009, and at the time, it was way too weird for most people. The sketch followed two musicians who sing songs about Model Ts, toddlers, jars of beer and spaceships. That’s it. That’s what all their songs are about. The sketch generated a small cult following, but it never really broke out. And yet, hilariously, it returned last night to weird everyone out again. Check out its bizarre magic below…

The above sketch is a good example of why I love Saturday Night Live so much. Not every sketch is supposed to be as broadly accessible as possible. No doubt a high percentage of people who watched the above, thought that’s weird and then moved on. But for a small percentage of us who love really eccentric and irreverent comedy, something like that is an absolute gift that you’d ordinarily never get on network television.

SNL is typically all about what’s new and relevant. And that’s good. Casts need to change. Current events need to be talked about. It’s ultimately good that the show isn’t the same thing it was ten years ago or forty years ago, but still, I’m a big fan of bringing back an older cast member to host once or twice each season. It’s a good bridge to the past, and it’s a wonderful gift for those of us who have been watching SNL for decades. 

The show will return next week with Willem Dafoe, who is the latest in a series of exciting SNL hosts this season.

I always found it funny how MacGruber - a Saturday Night Live character favorite played by Will Forte - got his own theatrically released movie in 2010 and the character he parodies, MacGyver (played by Richard Dean Anderson on the original series and Lucas Till on the CBS reboot), only had a few spin-off TV specials to his name. 

Now, the bumbling special operative is also getting a TV series of his own - premiering exclusively on Peacock, on Thursday, December 16, 2021. In addition to some familiar faces, there are a surprising amount of Hollywood heavies joining the MacGruber cast, but let’s start with our returning lead.

Will Forte (MacGruber)

The character of MacGruber is the brainchild of The Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccone, but was brought to life on SNL by Will Forte. The comedian would leave the sketch comedy series after eight years, in 2010, and create and star on his own post-apocalyptic sitcom, The Last Man on Earth, starting in 2015. 

He has also leant his talents to movies, like the 2013 Oscar nominated drama Nebraska and the coming-of age comedy Booksmart in 2019, and leant his voice to movies like Scoob! (as Shaggy) or Netflix’s America: The Motion Picture cast as Abraham Lincoln. After the MacGruber series, Forte will share the screen with Grammy-winning rock band Foo Fighters in Studio 666 - a horror-comedy coming out February 2022.

Kristen Wiig (Vicki St. Elmo)

As MacGruber’s long-time friend and partner, Vicki St. Elmo (who also originated on SNL and was reprised in the 2010 movie), is Kristen Wiig. She would quickly evolve into one of the biggest names in comedy, especially after leading the Bridesmaids cast and writing its Oscar-nominated screenplay with her Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar co-star, Annie Mumolo. 

Of course, after making her superhero movies debut in 2020 as Cheetah - one of the main villains of Wonder Woman 1984 - I think we can safely call her one of the biggest names in any genre these days. Wiig also has done a few voice acting roles recently, (including leading Fox’s Bless the Harts cast) and starred in Netflix’s epic holiday fantasy A Boy Called Christmas in 2021.

Ryan Phillippe (Lt. Dixon Piper)

Reprising his role from the MacGruber movie as Lt. Dixon Piper is one-time SNL host Ryan Phillippe. After debuting on One Life to Live, movies like teen slasher I Know What You Did Last Summer and the teen drama, Cruel Intentions, made him a movie star in the late 1990s. 

After starring in more acclaimed hits in the 2000s, like the Best Picture Oscar winner Crash or Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers, he would redefine himself as TV star once more by assuming Mark Wahlberg’s role in USA’s series remake of Shooter and landing a recurring role on ABC’s hit crime drama, Big Sky. However, Phillippe still appears in films, such as the 2021 military thriller, One Shot, most recently.

Billy Zane (Enos Queeth)

As MacGruber’s arch nemesis, Enos Queeth, we have Billy Zane. This actor is no stranger to villainy, with his debut role in the Back to the Future cast as one of Biff’s goons, and playing Cal Hockley in the 1998 Best Picture Oscar winner, Titanic, just to name a few.

He also has a few comic book adaptations under his belt, as the lead of the 1996 film, The Phantom, and as himself in a fun cameo with The Boys cast for Amazon Prime. He will soon share the screen with several iconic horror movie actors in the thriller, Hellblazers, and is producing a Marlon Brando biopic called Waltzing with Brando in which he will play the iconic actor.

Sam Elliott (Perry)

An old MacGruber sketch starring Richard Dean Anderson revealed that MacGyver was MacGruber’s father. However, that has apparently been retconned for the new show, with Sam Elliott as his estranged old man, Perry. 

In addition to a couple of Marvel movies (Hulk in 2003 and 2007’s Ghost Rider) the Academy Award nominee (for 2018’s A Star is Born) is known for starring in countless westerns - including 1993’s Tombstone and the FX series Justified - but, arguably, his best-known cowboy hat-clad character is The Stranger from The Big Lebowski in 1998. He recently put on another cowboy hat when joining the 1883 cast as Shea Brennan for the 19th century Yellowstone prequel.

Laurence Fishburne (General Barrett Fasoose)

Another MacGruber cast member with a powerful voice and an Oscar nomination (for What’s Love Got to Do with It) is Gen. Barrett Fasoose actor Laurence Fishburne. Like Sam Elliott, he has done his fair share of superhero movies (he played Perry White in the DCEU) and has played a cowboy (Cowboy Curtis on Pee-wee’s Playhouse) to great acclaim. 

In addition to grounded, powerful dramas like Boyz n the Hood and various TV shows (he plays Pops on Black-ish, for instance), his most notable claim to fame is playing Morpheus in the original Matrix movies. While Yahya Abdul-Mateen II took over that role for The Matrix Resurrections, Fishburne will soon reunite with Keanu Reeves when he reprises the Bowery King in John Wick: Chapter 4. 

Timothy V. Murray (Constantine Bach)

Reprising his role from the MacGruber movie as Constantine Bach is Timothy V. Murray, who typically appears in titles that the MacGruber series pokes fun at, like 24, Criminal Minds, Sons of Anarchy, or True Detective. He once played one of Ed Harris’ henchmen in 2007’s National Treasure: Book of Secrets before reuniting with the actor for the western Appaloosa in 2008, and then working with Disney again for its remake of The Lone Ranger in 2013. He, more recently, had recurring roles on the hit dramas Snowpiercer and S.W.A.T.

Joseph Lee Anderson (Major Harold Kernst)

As Major Harold Kernst, we have Joseph Lee Anderson, who is also known for a recurring role on S.W.A.T., among plenty of other crime procedurals. A good chunk of his career is historical dramas, such as American Soul (based on the life of Soul Train creator Don Cornelius), Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here (on which he appeared as Muhammed Ali), and the Oscar nominated Harriet (in which he played Harriet Tubman’s brother, Robert Ross). However, his biggest claim to fame in the category of playing real-life people is his role as Dwayne Johnson’s father, Rocky, on the NBC series, Young Rock.

Previously, Sin City cast member and Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke was cast as Billy Zane's villainous character. As cool as it is to see the Titanic star play a bad guy again, I would have been very curious to see Rourke in such a role. We shall see how Zane and the rest of the MacGruber cast handle their characters when the series premieres on Peacock.

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The importance of learning from history and preserving truth cannot be stressed enough, especially in today’s trying times. Apparently, Netflix has chosen to comment on this pressing matter by releasing - days before the Fourth of July - the most uproarious, raunchy, violent, and historically inaccurate movie to poke fun at the United States since Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s Team America: World Police. Produced in part by acclaimed filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the America: The Motion Picture cast boasts some really impressive voice talent, including Channing Tatum, whom we will spotlight first in the following breakdown of who is voicing who in the animated comedy.

Channing Tatum (George Washington)

I believe that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s casting of Channing Tatum as young-looking undercover cop Greg Jenko in 2012’s 21 Jump Street, along with the semi-autobiographical Magic Mike from director Steven Soderbergh the same year, had a lot to do with the reinvention of his career. It led to a turning point for the Step Up star, who was taken more seriously than ever in films like the true crime/sports drama Foxcatcher or Quentin Tarantino’s western whodunnit The Hateful Eight and he became one of the more well-respected and versatile actors of his generation. The 41-year-old is reteaming with Lord and Miller for the first time reprising Superman in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, on America: The Motion Picture as both a co-producer and as the voice of an eager, bladed gauntlet-wearing version of the Father of our Country, George Washington.

Jason Mantzoukas (Samuel Adams)

Also enjoying a surprisingly versatile career thanks to previous success in comedies is Jason Mantzoukas, well known as the unforgivably crass Rafi on FX’s The Leagueor popping up in more serious projects like John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, in which he played the mysterious Tick Tock Man, or opposite Mark Wahlberg in the sci-fi thriller Infinite (streaming exclusively on Paramount+). The comedian of Greek descent has also lent his voice to various animated movies like The LEGO Batman Movie, animated series like the Boys-esque Invincible (one of the most acclaimed 2021 TV shows on Amazon Prime), or as co-host of the popular How Did This Get Made? podcast. Also known for voicing several characters on Netflix’s Big Mouth, Mantzoukas’ latest contribution to the streaming platform is playing founding father Samuel Adams, portrayed as a beer-swilling bro in America: The Motion Picture.

Olivia Munn (Thomas Edison)

Another unique historical rewrite incorporated into America: The Motion Picture is the depiction of Thomas Edison (yes, you read that right - they put the Wizard of Menlo Park Thomas Edison in here instead of the Declaration of Independence scribe Thomas Jefferson) as a female scientist with mechanical expertise as advanced as Tony Stark. Voicing the superhero-esque genius is Olivia Munn, who is also no stranger to superhero movies having once provided satirical commentary on them as co-host of Attack of the Show! on G4 (which is apparently being revived) and played Psylocke in X-Men: Apocalypse in 2016. The actress author of the 2010 memoir Suck It, Wonder Woman!: The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek will also appear in the crime drama The Gateway opposite Marvel movies star Frank Grillo and another thriller called Aleppo, now in post-production.

Judy Greer (Martha Dandridge)

Another veteran of the Marvel movies (namely as Scott Lang’s ex-wife, Maggie, in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp) among other franchises (2015’s Jurassic World and the new Halloween movies) is Judy Greer, who voices George Washington’s wife, Martha Washington, when she was still known as Martha Dandridge in America: The Motion Picture. The Netflix original comedy also marks a reunion for the 46-year-old actress with director Matt Thompson - an executive producer of FX’s long-running, animated espionage comedy Archer, on which Greer voices the promiscuous Figgis Agency secretary Cheryl Tunt. She also voices the title character of the PBS children’s series Let’s Go Luna and has two other projects about the history of the United States in the works, including The White House Plumbers (set around the Watergate Scandal) and the Showtime miniseries The First Lady.

Beyond the screen, Judy Greer's voice can be heard as the narrator of several audiobooks, including Liz Tuccillo's How To Be Single, and Max Brooks' recent novel, Devolution. She also narrated her own book, the cleverly titled I Don't Know What You Know Me From.

Bobby Moynihan (Paul Revere)

America: The Motion Picture also marks a reunion for Bobby Moynihan with his DuckTales reboot co-star Jason Mantzoukas and a few alums of the Saturday Night Live cast whom we will name soon. The 44-year-old actor, writer, and comedian provides the voice of Paul Revere (remembered in reality for calling attention to the British Forces’ approach before the battles of Lexington and Concord), which, actually, is his second role related to politics in 2021 after playing the communications director for Ted Danson’s character on Mr. Mayor on NBC. You can also hear his voice on an episode of the latest of Disney+’s Star Wars TV shows (Star Wars: The Bad Batch), the newest addition of Crank Yankers on Comedy Central, and the animated series Loafy as the titular weed-dealing manatee.

Raoul Max Trujillo (Geronimo)

I cannot find anything from history suggesting that famous Apache tribe leader Geronimo ever fought alongside George Washington during the American Revolution, or having one arm, but I guess that is how the makers of America: The Motion Picture decided to portray him. At least he is voiced by actual Native American descendent Raoul Max Trujillo, who, in addition to playing intergalactic mercenary Lockspur in Riddick, has also played many other indigenous people from history in more accurate period pieces like the TNT miniseries Into the West or Terrence Malick’s retelling of John Smith’s romance with Pocahontas in The New World, as well as a Mayan warrior in Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto in 2006. Speaking of Mayans, Trujillo is a series regular on the Sons of Anarchy spin-off Mayans M.C. as Che “Taza” Romero and will play the Ponca tribe chief White Eagle in an upcoming biopic based on the life of Sacajawea.

Killer Mike (Blacksmith)

The character of a blacksmith whom George Washington enlists for help during the American Revolution is just about the biggest acting role yet for rap artist Michael “Killer Mike” Render - not counting the times he has played himself, such as in ATL from 2006. However, the second half of the Grammy-nominated hip-hop duo Run the Jewels (whose hit song “Nobody Speaks” has appeared in countless movies, TV shows, and commercials) does have a couple of other voice acting credits, most notably his recurring role on the animated sci-fi comedy series Frisky Dingo (co-created by America: The Motion Picture writer Matt Thompson) for Adult Swim. Not to mention, this is only the most recent time he has worked with Netflix, who released his boundary-pushing and thought-provoking reality series Trigger Warning with Killer Mike in 2019.

Andy Samberg (Benedict Arnold)

America: The Motion Picture, in which Andy Samberg plays infamous Benedict Arnold, is also the latest of several times the former Saturday Night Live star has worked with Netflix, including the visual album The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience, in which he rapped as Jose Canseco. The Golden Globe-winning Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast member has also worked with Hulu, most recently for the delightful 2020 rom-com Palm Springs, as well as Quibi (when it was still a thing) as a guest star on Mapleworth Murder, and has hit the big screen to great results, like with the acclaimed music industry satire Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping in 2016. In addition to starring in Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, Samberg and the rest of The Lonely Island are currently working on a new, partially live action Chip ’n’ Dale movie, starring he and John Mulaney as the titular heroic chipmunks.

Will Forte (Abraham Lincoln)

What an honor it must be for Will Forte to be the voice of Abraham Lincoln - who, at least, has to be represented more truthfully in America: The Motion Picture than he was in 2013’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, right? This is actually the third time the former star of Fox sitcom The Last Man on Earth and veteran Netflix collaborator (most recently with a role in the fantasy series Sweet Tooth) has played our sixteenth president after doing so in both 2014’s The LEGO Movie and its sequel and the second time he has played a president after succeeding Will Ferrell’s role as George W. Bush on Saturday Night Live. Speaking of the long-running sketch comedy series, Forte is reportedly bringing back his most popular character, MacGruber, for a new Peacock original TV series.

Simon Pegg (King James)

Rounding out the America: The Motion Picture cast is the villain of the story, King James, voiced by one of the most beloved British actors and filmmakers of his generation, Simon Pegg. After exploding onto the American mainstream as star and co-writer of one of the greatest horror movies (and horror-comedy movies) of all time with Shaun of the Dead, the Spaced star went on to become an integral part of some properties he was already a fan of, including the Mission: Impossible movies, J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot, and the Amazon Prime original series adaptation of The Boys as the father of Hughie, which was originally written with him in mind. In 2020, Pegg also reunited with his frequent collaborator and friend Nick Frost for the horror-comedy miniseries Truth Seekers and has two Mission: Impossible movies with Tom Cruise in the works as we speak.

With a cast this amazing, there is no way America: The Motion Picture cannot be a fun revisionist history comedy. Watch it streaming on Netflix starting Wednesday, June 30, 2021.

During his time on SNL and beyond, Will Forte evolved his MacGruber character from a one-note MacGyver parody into a spinoff machine that somehow hasn't ever overstayed its welcome. The true test is coming via the in-development TV adaptation for NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service, and the producers just boosted the new series' credibility by casting a stellar trio of actors, with MCU and Sin City vet Mickey Rourke tapped to play MacGruber's new arch nemesis.

Let's break down each of these MacGruber casting additions and see what fans can expect from the new stars joining the previously revealed Will Forte, Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe.

Mickey Rourke - Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth

One of 2020's strangest TV moments involved Mickey Rourke's voluntary Masked Singer unmasking, and I can almost already guarantee that he'll be at the center of more baffling small screen moments on MacGruber. In the action comedy romp, Rourke will take on the role of Enos Queeth, one of MacGruber's most notorious enemies. Though Queeth was long believed to be dead, he reemerged in the world with a deadly plot to bring the Earth to its knees, all while declaring revenge on MacGruber himself.

The foibles of Iron Man 2 aside, Mickey Rourke has long proven himself to be an intimidating presence on screen, and he's usually best either when playing things completely straight, as it went with The Wrestler, or when he's in full self-aware mode, as it went with The Expendables. Can't wait to see what kind of madness he brings to the role of Enos Queeth.

Sam Elliott - Perry

Having cemented his streaming TV star power on Netflix's Grace and Frankie and The Ranch, the legendary Sam Elliott is heading to a far zanier comedy by taking on a fatherly role in MacGruber. That's right, Will Forte's bumbling hero was somehow sired by Elliott's character Perry. Though the two characters are no longer as close as they once were, Perry is a guiding beacon in MacGruber's life, and it sounds like he'll serve as a pillar of inspirational advice as his son attempts to save the world. No pressure, no pressure.

I love the idea of giving the manic MacGruber a classic westernly parental figure in Sam Elliott. His Southern drawl is instantly recognizable, from truck commercials to The Big Lebowski to Family Guy, so I'm guessing everyone will be hanging onto every word he says in the TV show.

Laurence Fishburne - General Barrett Fasoose

This excellent casting update is rounded out by the addition of black-ish star Laurence Fishburne, who will bring his comedy-friendly professional demeanor to MacGruber in a big way. Not only is Fishburne's Barrett Fasoose a highly decorated general who has earned the respect of the entire U.S. military, but he's also the current husband of MacGruber's ex-wife Vicki St. Elmo, as played by Kristen Wiig. Expect some ludicrous sparks to fly between Fasoose and MacGruber over just about everything.

Laurence Fishburne has played the upper-patriarch on the ABC comedy black-ish for seven seasons now, and with Season 8 having already been announced as the show's final one, it's awesome that the actor has already landed a follow-up comedy to dive into in the meantime. (We're also still pumped to hear him in the upcoming Marvel series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.)

The eight-episode initial season of MacGruber will debut on Peacock at some point later in 2021 or in early 2022, depending on how complicated the filming gets. While waiting to hear more updates, be sure to keep up with everything coming to TV soon with our 2021 Summer TV schedule.

Based on the highly acclaimed comic book series from writer and artist Jeff Lemire, the pint-sized epic Sweet Tooth is Netflix's latest zeitgeist-catching original series, with Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey as two of its executive producers. (They know a thing or two about comic book projects, I'd think.) In the same way that Sweet Tooth's hopefulness makes it stand apart from other post-apocalyptic tales, the show's cast is also a very unique blend of actors from various backgrounds.

The complementary meshing of the Sweet Tooth cast is especially applicable, considering the show concerns a strange phenomenon tying into the Great Crumble plague, where babies across the globe are born as human-animal hybrids, generally of the extremely adorable variety. So, let's take a largely spoiler-free look at the actors playing the angler-headed Gus and the other most noteworthy characters you'll meet during Sweet Tooth's eight-episode first season.

Christian Convery (Gus)

The deerboy hybrid Gus and his taste for candy (and especially syrup) are where the show gets its name, though Gus is certainly known for more than that. In many ways, Gus is the epitome of fish-out-of-water innocence, even though no fish parts are involved, and his wide-eyed optimism is one of the drama's strongest hooks.

Thankfully, the wildly talented Christian Convery is the absolute perfect young actor for the job, having proven his worth in a wider variety of roles than one might think for an 11-year-old. In his first few years, Convery landed roles in fan-favorite shows such as Supernatural and Lucifer, and played a younger version of Dan Stevens' David Haller in the comic series Legion. Also a lead on the short-lived Disney Channel series Pup Academy, based on the Air Bud franchise, Convery has also appeared in a selection of Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies.

Will Forte (Pubba)

Without the fatherly and somewhat eccentric Pubba, there is no Gus, and without Gus, there is no Sweet Tooth. So, show creator Jim Mickle (Hap & Leonard) & Co. had to find someone who could convincingly become a bearded outdoorsman while still maintaining the sensitivity to raise a half-deer son in his survivalist image.

Who better for the role, then, than Last Man on Earth star Will Forte and his magnificent beard growth? A veteran of 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, and the latter's MacGruber spinoff, which is soon to be its own streaming series, Forte is known for his completely silly and surreal comedy and has become a major player in the voice-acting game. He can be heard in The Great North, Bob's Burgers, No Activity, last year's Scoob! and Fox's upcoming HouseBroken, to name just a few.

Nonso Anozie (Tommy Jepperd)

While Tommy Jepperd was a grizzled white hockey player in Jeff Lemire's source material, the Sweet Tooth TV character is a Black ex-football player who unwittingly (and sometimes unwillingly) becomes Gus' father figure during their journey together. Of course, the so-called "Big Man" ends up getting just as much out of that companionship as Gus does.

UK actor Nonso Anozie brings just the right amount of empathetic gruffness to the role, and fans will likely recognize Anozie from a number of past roles. One of his biggest breaks here in the U.S. came through the recurring role of Xaro Xhoan Daxos on Game of Thrones, and he went on to land major roles in such TV projects as Zoo, Tut and Dracula. On the film side of things, Anozie has popped up in recent years in features such as Cinderella, Pan, Artemis Fowl and The Laundromat, among others.

Dania Ramirez (Aimee)

A character who wasn't in Jeff Lemire's comic book, though she does share characteristics with those in the source material, is Aimee. Without going too far into details, the protective and motherly Aimee is a former therapist who ends up running The Preserve, which is known to be a sanctuary for displaced hybrids.

In the role of Aimee is actress Dania Ramirez, whose face and warm smile could immediately put anyone at ease, human or hybrid. With an early career that included TV appearances in Buffy and The Sopranos, Ramirez made her mark with roles on Heroes and Devious Maids, and reached a noteworthy peak in portraying Disney's Cinderella for Once Upon a Time. Most recently, she starred in the first season of the streaming drama Tell Me a Story.

Stefania LaVie Owen (Bear)

As the founder of the Animal Army, a group of teen quasi-activists who consider hybrids to be the key to the future, Bear is a strong leader, but one who also obviously has compassion for others. Plus, as someone who calls herself Bear and wears such a striking costume, the character is also skilled in the ways of fighting and weaponry.

Bringing this original-to-TV character to life is actress Stefania LaVie Owen, who has made quite a name for herself early on in her career. Owen has been a big part of TV series such as Netflix's Messiah, Showtime's I'm Dying Up Here, and Hulu's Chance, among others, and is also known for her roles in films such as Krampus and last year's Paper Spiders.

Adeel Akhtar (Dr. Aditya Singh)

Though Dr. Singh was indeed a character from the Sweet Tooth comic book, the TV show makes him a far more sympathetic and relatable character as a devotee to both his doctorly profession and to his loving wife. But, because of a complication that arises with said wife, Singh enters a life of dark secrets and shady relationships with others.

UK actor Adeel Akhtar was cast to take on the role of Dr. Singh, and his is a face which has popped up Netflix several times in the past few years, as he was in both Enola Holmes with Henry Cavill and Murder Mystery with Adam Sandler. On the TV side, Akhtar has won awards in the UK for his work on the original Utopia and for the TV movie Murdered by My Father, and following a run on the short-lived Fox comedy Ghosted, has appeared in acclaimed series such as Counterpart and Killing Eve.

Aliza Vellani (Rani Singh)

As the equally loving and devoted wife of Dr. Singh, Rani is completely unique as a character, in that she has managed to survive through the Great Crumble in a way that no one else has, which plays into why she and her husband have to remain completely mum about her situation.

Having gotten her break on the Canadian comedy Little Mosque on the Prairie, actress Aliza Vellani has taken on roles in a variety of genre-heavy TV shows, from Colony to Riverdale, and The Flash to Supernatural, not to mention The X-Files and iZombie. In that respect, it's only natural that a reality-skewing show like Sweet Tooth would be her next move.

Neil Sandilands (General Abbot)

Rocking a pair of opaque glasses and a round, bald head sitting atop a giant beard, General Abbot is undeniably Sweet Tooth's main villain, and he always looks the part. As the leader of the militaristic and monstrous Last Men, Abbot is continuously leading a mission to wipe hybrids from the face of the earth so that humanity can be protected in one way or another.

Playing such a duplicitous and genius bad guy probably wasn't too hard a career turn for Neil Sandilands, who'd most recently had a starring stint on The CW's The Flash as the Arrowverse's Clifford "The Thinker" DeVoe. Before that, the South African actor enjoyed short stints on dramas such as Hap and Leonard, The 100 and The Americans. On the film side, Sandilands secured arguably his biggest movie role to date in Paul Greengrass' News of the World.

James Brolin (Narrator)

Technically, Sweet Tooth's folksy narrator is never seen, so the role doesn't 100% require a spot in this article. But, given the actor behind the voice, it bears noting that Hollywood legend James Brolin is the voice viewers hear throughout the first season. The father of MCU vet Josh Brolin, the elder actor is well-known for a plethora of projects over the past 60 years, with his biggest TV roles coming through the series Marcus Welby, M.D., Hotel and, more recently, the CBS comedy Life in Pieces. (Not to mention tons of appearances in other shows like Castle, Batman and When Calls the Heart.) On the film side, he's arguably most notable for his work in The Amityville Horror, Traffic and an A+ cameo in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.

While there are certainly a handful of other noteworthy characters and cast members who show up in Sweet Tooth, to list them here would be stepping into major spoiler territory, and that's not how Gus would want things to be handled. So, don't forget to keep your eyes peeled and your candy bars plentiful, and hit up Netflix to watch Sweet Tooth's eight episode first season when it debuts on Friday, June 4, just in time to kick off the 2021 Summer TV season.

Robert Downey Jr. may arguably be best known for portraying the genius Marvel Comics character Tony "Iron Man" Stark, but his next comic book effort will be on a completely different level. He and wife Susan Downey, through their production company Team Downey, are executive producing the new post-apocalyptic Netflix series Sweet Tooth, which has finally released its first trailer on the world, and it's just as wild and epic as anyone could have expected and hoped. Check it out above!

Sweet Tooth is a fantastic comic book series that was created by the prolific and brilliant writer and artist Jeff Lemire, and while it doesn't automatically seem like perfect fodder for a big-budget Netflix TV series, watching the trailer makes it obvious why everyone involved wanted to get on board. Beyond Robert Downey Jr. & Co., the behind-the-scenes creative team also includes showrunner Jim Mickle, who directed the disturbingly excellent horror remake We Are What We Are and created the fan-favorite SundanceTV drama Hap & Leonard, among other things. Sweet Tooth looks like it might be his mostly brightly lit work yet, but there's definitely a dark story being told here.

Within the Sweet Tooth universe, some kind of a cataclysmic event decimated Earth's population and possibly had an even stranger effect on the planet. (We get hints of it in the trailer, but not too much.) You see, babies born after the event are strangely human-animal hybrids, and you can imagine that the people that are left are not 100% comfortable with that being the new norm. More specifically, the series follows a young and sheltered boy who's forced to leave the comforts of his home to face the harshness of the outside world. He won't be alone, as he'll join a small group of other human-animal hybrids in order to figure out what happened to the world, and how their kind came to exist in it. Not the most straightforward mystery, but it's definitely one that kept readers hooked during both of the comic's runs.

As seen in the trailer, Sweet Tooth is headed up by young actor Christian Convery, who plays the young Gus, who was born as a hybrid between a human boy and a deer. And I cannot lie, the shots of him as a bitty deer-baby are kind of adorable. The show also stars MacGruber himself Will Forte as Gus' father, The Flash vet Neil Sandilands as the villainous General Steve Abbot - always a villain, that guy - Game of Thrones alum Nonso Anozie as Gus' race-swapped companion Tommy Jeppard, and Utopia's Adeel Akhtar as Dr. Singh, whose research might be able to reverse the bizarre string of hybrid births happening around the world. Unless it isn't.

You can bet that not everyone out there is fully down with a young deer-boy figuring out the secrets of modern day society. Especially since Gus might have secrets that others aren't aware of. Which presumably leads us to whoever the hell these people-animals are.

While we may not see Robert Downey Jr. rocking any comic book costumes in the near future, we can always keep our hooves, er, fingers crossed that he has some kind of a secret cameo coming in Sweet Tooth, which will make its grand debut on Netflix on Friday, June 4, at 3:01 a.m. ET. For those who already read through the original series, be sure to check out the sequel series that Jeff Lemire began publishing in 2020, Sweet Tooth: The Return.

Shaggy from Scooby-Doo is easily one of the most beloved animated characters of the last 50 years. While he’s very much a reflection of the era from which he was born – essentially a stoner hippy who we never see smoke pot – fans have long loved his goofy antics and his enviable relationship with his number one canine pal, and its kept him and the rest of the Scooby gang as pop culture stalwarts for decades.

Of course, a huge part of Shaggy’s legacy is the list of great performers who have played him over the years, starting with the legendary Casey Kasem, and the latest to join that line with the new animated feature Scoob! is Saturday Night Live alum Will Forte. It’s a role that the actor was honored to have the opportunity to play, but as he revealed to me earlier this week during an online video chat, it also proved to be a job that came part and parcel with a lot of stress:

With Scoob! set to be available for digital purchase starting on Friday, I had the pleasure of talking with Will Forte during the film’s virtual press day on Tuesday, and my first question was in regard to his process leaving his own stamp on the character. As I quickly learned, that was a whole thing in the early days of the project that legitimately freaked him out:

It’s an understandable position when you consider the potential negative outcomes that Will Forte could foresee. If he tried to do his best imitation of past Shaggy performers, he would potentially be criticized for not doing a good enough job. And if he tried to do his own thing with it, there would potentially be complaints about him not honoring the legacy. It’s not exactly a no-win situation, but still a thorny one to navigate.

Fortunately, he found a level of comfort working with Scoob! director Tony Cervone and the other filmmakers in the recording process, given a kind of permission to pursue the character the best way he felt fit:

Ultimately it was a lot of work, and Will Forte took the role as seriously as any performer could – but he found himself laughing when recounting to me all the good the extracurricular activity actually did when he arrived in started doing his recording sessions. Said the actor,

What will fortunately make any difficult endeavor easier to get through is having the support of a trustworthy colleague who can guide you, and that definitely was the relationship that Will Forte had with Tony Cervone. The filmmaker has been telling stories with the Scooby gang since co-directing/producing 2010’s Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo, and that experience, plus his general positive attitude, allowed Forte to relax a bit while bringing to life his incarnation of Norville "Shaggy" Rogers:

You can hear Tony Cervone discuss about his experiences making Scoob! on the latest episode of ReelBlend, which is available here.

In addition to Will Forte, Scoob! also stars Amanda Seyfried, Zac Efron, Gina Rodriguez, Jason Isaacs, Mark Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, Kiersey Clemons, and more, and will be available for digital purchase or rental tomorrow – with a special premiere being hosted on Twitter at 4pm PST/7pm EST. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more of our coverage!

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Have you ever watched an animated movie and found yourself thinking, "Gee, that voice sounds familiar?" You're not alone. While one of the keys to great voice acting is getting the audience immersed in the animated creation in front of them, there will always be that nagging feeling where you can place the voice from someone in something but it's slipping your mind. That'll probably be the case while you watch Netflix's new animated movie, The Willoughbys. The CG-animated family film has a great cast list of voice actors, from SNL veterans to hard-working voice talents (or both!). If you were wondering who played who, we're here to help! Here are the actors who lent their voice to The Willoughbys and what you might recognize them from.

Will Forte - Tim Willoughby

As Tim Willoughby, the eldest of the Willoughby children (and the most rational), Will Forte provides another voice-only performance in Netflix's The Willoughbys. A talented Emmy-nominated actor-writer best known for Saturday Night Live, MacGruber, Nebraska, and The Last Man on Earth, Forte has also forged a career in voice acting — most notably in recent years. His voice can be heard in movies and shows like Clone High, The LEGO Movie 1 & 2, The Life & Times of Tim, American Dad, Gravity Falls, Allen Gregory, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, My Life as a Zucchini, The Simpsons, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Bob's Burgers, to name a few. He'll also soon voice Shaggy in the new animated movie Scoob!, and he'll play a voice part in the upcoming series, The Great North.

Martin Short - Mr. Willoughby

As Mr. Willoughby, the neglectful patriarch of the Willoughby family, Martin Short adds another voice-only role to his ever-growing resume with Netflix's The Willoughbys. The Tony-winning comedy veteran of the stage and screen has a hundred-plus credits to his name, such as Three Amigos!, SCTV, SNL, Father of the Bride, Mars Attacks!, and Inherent Vice, to name a mere few, as well his multiple appearances as Jiminy Glick. But Short's voice credits include (and certainly aren't limited to) The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That, Treasure Planet, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, The Prince of Egypt, The Pebble and the Penguin, Hoodwinked Too!: Hood vs. Evil, We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story, Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Frankenweenie, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, and, most recently, 2019's The Addams Family.

Alessia Cara - Jane Willoughby

As Jane Willoughby, the fun-loving middle child of the Willoughby family, Alessia Cara plays one of the main roles in Netflix's The Willoughbys. An accomplished musician, this new animated movie serves as her introduction to the world of acting. If you recognize her voice, it's almost certainly from her singing, as she has only acted professionally in music videos prior to this new movie. As a musician, Cara has been heard in movies like After and Moana, as well as in shows like Grey's Anatomy, Saturday Night Live, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and more. The Canadian singer-songwriter has been nominated for four Grammys and she won one in 2018. She's known for her singles like "Here," "Scars to Your Beautiful," "Stay," "Growing Pains," "Querer Mejor,"and "Trust My Lonely."

Jane Krakowski - Mrs. Willoughby

As Mrs. Willoughby, the neglectful matriarch of the Willoughby family, Jane Krakowski gives another voice-only performance in The Willoughbys. While she is best known for her television work, notably 30 Rock, Ally McBeal, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, as well as roles in Go, National Lampoon's Vacation, and The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, Krakowski has also amassed several animated movies and shows on her resume, including Ice Age, Open Season 1 & 2, The Simpsons, American Dad, Robot Chicken, Sofia the First, BoJack Horseman, Tangled: The Animated Series, and Henchmen.

Ricky Gervais - The Cat

As the voice of The Cat, a talking blue tabby who also narrates the movie, Ricky Gervais provides another voice-only performance. The actor-writer-director-comedian is known for his work in front and behind the camera, but he has lent his voice to The Simpsons, Grand Theft Auto 4, The Little Prince, Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, Spy Kids 4D: All the Time in the World, and more. Gervais also served as a narrator on an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants and he could be heard in the HBO animated series, The Ricky Gervais Show. But Gervais is more commonly known as the star, co-director, co-writer, and co-creator of The Office U.K., as well as Extras, Life's Too Short, Derek, and, most recently, After Life. He also starred in Ghost Town, Muppets Most Wanted, and the Night at the Museum movies and served as a regular Golden Globes host.

Maya Rudolph - Nanny

As the voice of Nanny, the eccentric babysitter tasked with watching over the Willoughby children, Maya Rudolph provides a lively presence to Netflix's animated film. A veteran of Saturday Night Live and known for her performances in Bridesmaids, Away We Go, The Good Place, and more, Rudolph has become an accomplished voice actress over the years, lending her talents to several animated movies and TV shows, including (but not limited to), Big Mouth, The Angry Birds Movie 1 & 2, Shrek the Third, Big Hero 6, My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea, The Emoji Movie, The Nut Job 1 & 2, Bless the Harts, Big Hero 6: The Series, Family Guy, Strange Magic, and more.

Terry Crews - Commander Melanoff

As Commander Melanoff, a joyful owner of a candy factory, Terry Crews provides a lively presence in Netflix's The Willoughbys. A former professional football player-turned-actor/television personality, Crews is best known for his roles in White Chicks, Idiocracy, The Expendables movies, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Everybody Hates Chris. He's also known as the host of America's Got Talent, and he previously hosted Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? He is well-known for his popular Old Spice commercials. As a voice actor, Crews can be heard in Craig of the Creek, Saints Row IV, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, Hulk and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Ultimate Spider-Man, Regular Show, and VeggieTales: Celery Night Fever.

Seán Cullen - The Barnabys

As the Barnabys, the youngest twin boy siblings of the Willoughby family, Seán Cullen plays a dual role in Netflix's The Willoughbys. An established actor, comedian, impersonator, author, screenwriter, and voice artist, Cullen is easily the most experience voice actor from the cast of The Willoughbys, though he's better known in Canada than in the United States. He's known there for shows like Best Ed, Little Monsters, Almost Naked Animals, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, but he's done voice work for several other movies and TV shows. He's also seen in The Love Guru and The Seán Cullen Show, as the name of the latter would suggest.

Did you enjoy Netflix's The Willoughbys? Who gave your favorite performance? Let us know in the comment section below.

Movie fans can go on until the end of days about big budget action flicks like Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible franchise or Marvel's Avengers: Endgame. In the end, I think we can all agree that the greatest action hero of all time is Will Forte's MacGruber, and I'll also assume we all share the same jubilation about Forte recently revealing that he's got a MacGruber TV show in the works. Right? Right.

Understandably, not just any studio or TV network can handle the machismo-soaked magnificence that is MacGruber. Will Forte dropped a couple of tone-based teases about the in-development project, saying that there's likely no way MacGruber's episodic filthiness would ever be allowed to air on a broadcast network in the same way as Forte's post-apocalyptic comedy The Last Man on Earth did.

It's as if Will Forte has some hidden telepathic way of communicating with all of the heads of network TV at once. Otherwise, how would he have come to that conclusion so easily? Perhaps it's the fact that the big Four networks have for decades viewed F-bombs and dong references as being on par with the black plague, but it MIGHT be Forte's telepathy.

Speaking with IndieWire about his upcoming paranormal comedy feature Extra Ordinary, Will Forte pointed out that the ideas he's conceived with his spoof-loving MacGruber team – Jorma Taccone and John Solomon – are comfortably outside the parental advisory box. Even though the character MacGruber got his start on network TV via a series of ridiculous short-form gags during Forte's stint on Saturday Night Live, the 2010 feature definitely raised the scatalogical and expletive-laden stakes. (And then had sex with their ghosts on top of their graves.)

It's not like anyone can politely just ask MacGruber to change his ways, especially not after a nine-year absence. Knowing how beloved the character is to the writing trio, as well as with audiences, one would hope that Will Forte & Co. spent much of that hiatus conceiving of countless new ways to rip a villain's dick off and make him eat it. Would it be too much to ask for Val Kilmer to somehow return for the TV show?

Assuming MacGruber can snag itself a home somewhere in the worlds of cable or streaming, there's likely nothing that will stop the show from coming to fruition. Now that no one is busy working on Fox's cancelled Last Man on Earth – R.I.P. – Forte can get back rocking another signature hairstyle while also boasting a signature 20-lb python in the pants. In his words:

You hear that, execs at networks that aren't of the broadcast variety? Let Will Forte, Jorma Taccone and John Solomon go nuts! Give them a huge budget! Explode all the things!

There's obviously no clear timeline in place for MacGruber's TV development, so stay tuned to learn when it might make its way to primetime TV.

One of the most enduring cartoon series is almost ready to return to the big screen. A new animated Scooby-Doo movie is in the works and it's found some Grade-A talent to voice the iconic characters. Will Forte and Gina Rodriquez have joined the cast and they will be joined by Scooby-Doo voice actor Frank Welker and -- surprisingly enough -- Tracy Morgan as Hanna-Barbera character Captain Caveman.

There have been plenty of actors to voice Scooby-Doo characters over the decades that the cartoon has appeared, but it looks like the new animated film is going mostly for more familiar actors to voice the parts. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Will Forte will voice Shaggy, Scooby-Doo's best friend and lover of dog treats. Velma, the brains of the bunch, will be voiced by Gina Rodriquez, while Scooby-Doo will be voiced by Frank Welker. Welker is a veteran voice actor and has voiced Scooby-Doo characters since 1969 -- starting with Fred, and as Scooby since 2002 -- so the talking Great Dane will largely sound the same.

And that's not all! Tracy Morgan has been cast as Captain Caveman, a lesser-known cartoon character. He really has nothing to do with Scooby-Doo but the new film will serve as a crossover between various Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters. Captain Caveman appeared in Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels, a soft parody of Charlie's Angels that found three teenage girls solving mysteries with a super-powered caveman they thawed from ice.

That's pretty solid cast right there. Will Forte as Shaggy is pretty spot-on casting, and Rodriquez's star has been rising ever since she starred on the CW's Jane the Virgin. Both of them are no stranger to voice work. Forte has voiced characters in The LEGO Movies, Bob's Burgers, and Cloudy With a Change of Meatballs. Rodriquez voices the titular character of Carmen Sandiego on the Netflix TV series. Tracy Morgan will be providing his voice for the Green Eggs and Ham TV show.

The plot of the new film will find the Mystery Inc. gang joining forces with other heroes of the Hanna-Barbera universe to save the world from Dick Dastardly and his evil plans. Dick Dastardly is a no good so-and-so from Wacky Races and was always up to nefarious schemes to win a race. He was always accompanied by his sidekick Muttley, an anthromorphic dog.

This is a pretty cool idea for a Scooby-Doo movie, seeing as how the character has basically drained the masked-man-scares-kids well dry. Plus, Scooby-Doo is no stranger to crossovers, having met Batman, The Three Stooges, WWE Wrestlers, Supernatural, and the Harlem Globetrotters over the years. I'm curious if kids today will care at all about old Hanna-Barbera cartoons, but it's certainly a fun idea.

The animated Scoody-Doo film is directed by Tony Cervone and will arrive in theaters in May 2020.

Though its title was quickly found to be a lie, as most things related to Tandy are, The Last Man on Earth has been a show like no others on TV. From the character dynamics of Todd and Melissa's relationship to the surrogate-family struggles between Carol and Gail, the show never fails to veer into new and unpredictable directions. And you can pretty much gauge when those new mini-eras of the show are happening, as evidenced by whatever instantly noticeable hairstyle Will Forte is donning as the soddenly optimistic Tandy.

To celebrate Last Man on Earth's upcoming Season 3 finale, which looks to be as ridiculous and shock-filled as past finales have been, we decided to look back and stare wistfully at all of the wild and befuddling hairstyles that Will Forte has taken upon his skull in the name of comedy.

The O.G. Shag

When The Last Man on Earth premiered in 2015, Will Forte's beard appeared as if it could house a family of birds, had there actually been any birds around in this universe to submit themselves to a dishonorable existence within a pathological liar's beard. This was the hairdo/beard combo against which all of Will Forte's other looks would be compared. And most would lose.

The Faux Party In The Back

No, Will Forte didn't suddenly grow out a ton of blondish hair in the early weeks of Season 1, but we got to see what he might look like if a ton of blondish hair did suddenly burst form his scalp. And lo, it was a two-toned atrocity that called upon the end of times as only Joe Dirt would see fit.

The Suspicious Prom Date

After Kristen Schaal's Carol came into the picture, then-Phil had to clean up his act. At least the "hair on his head" side of that act, since he definitely didn't stop bullshitting anyone. After marrying Carol, Phil went for the baby-fresh look to impress January Jones' newcomer Melissa, and even though looking like Ted Bundy's tutor isn't what screwed things up, it didn't help.

The Jungle Tour Guide

This wasn't so much a particular hairstyle as just the kind of thing that happens to a person's head and face after they've been stuck atop a billboard for a while in the middle of the Tuscon heat. And yet it looks perfectly natural hovering over the sunburn-goggles peeling off of Phil-into-Tandy's face. He looks like the guy who would point to show Macgruber where the bad guy went.

The Back To Basics

After all the follicle-infused madness of Season 1, The Last Man on Earth brought Tandy back around to his pre-companion self with a face full of beard. I like to think that Tandy doesn't really have chest hair, but rather just a beard that didn't get the memo that it was supposed to stop at the throat area.

The Asymmetrical Nightmare

With the above look, which Will Forte pulled off in real life while filming the show, The Last Man on Earth came as close to a hair-based optical illusion as possible, and one with an "evil side" that you just can't distinguish. While most would want to go back in time to decide against going this route, Forte rocked it for a half-dozen episodes or so, and others lived to tell about it.

The Brows Of Steel

After Tandy lost his brother Mike, at least as far as everyone assumes, he no longer donned the half-hair vibe, instead going full-shaven. But because Carol couldn't tell what his emotions were, he donned fake eyebrows to help that along. It was a time of mourning for Tandy, so even though the only hair he had was fake at the time, it was still a window into his soul.

The Bizarro Brows Of Steel

Most recently, The Last Man on Earth took a surprising six-month leap into the future, at which point both Tandy and Todd had grown their facial hair back. Well, partly, since it turned out Tandy actually couldn't grow part of his hair back, particularly in the eyebrow area. It's unclear at this point what it could mean, but we bet he'll lash out soon about it.

The Last Man on Earth will say farewell to audiences for the summer with an hour-long season finale airing on Fox on Sunday, May 7, at 9:00 p.m. Head to our big finale rundown to see when your other favorite shows are ending, and then check out our summer TV schedule to see when the rest of TV will be back.

If you like watching former Saturday Night Live cast members work together, then there's a new HBO project with Andy Samberg and Will Forte coming up that might appeal to you.

According to TVLine, Andy Samberg and Murray Miller, who worked on the HBO tennis satire 7 Days in Hell, are currently working on Tour de Pharmacy for the same network. While 7 Days in Hell focused on the athletes, played by Samberg and Kit Harington, behind what would become the (fake) longest match in the history of professional tennis, Tour de Pharmacy will look into the world of doping in professional cycling. Samberg will again play an athlete, as one of the competing cyclists, and he's executive producing along with Miller, who will also be writing the project. The cast will also include Last Man on Earth's Will Forte, Dolph Lundgren, Mike Tyson, Julia Ormond, Phylicia Rashad and John Cena.

The new mockumentary is coming at a time when fans of professional cycling are still reeling from the revelation that stars of the sport are being banned or suspended from riding because they've been using banned substances to enhance their performance. Seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong was stripped of all his titles in 2012, but his case is just the tip of the very unfortunate iceberg when it comes to doping in cycling.

Since leaving SNL, Andy Samberg has gone on to cement his status as one of our leading comedic actors. He's still a driving force behind The Lonely Island, the comedy troupe that was behind all of those SNL shorts (like Dick in a Box) that went viral a few years back. Samberg has also been heading up the cast of the police detective sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine since 2013 as carefree and, somewhat goofy, cop Jake Peralta, who still manages to get the job done while cracking oddball jokes. He's also known for the movies Hot Rod, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, The To Do List and Celeste & Jesse Forever. In 2014 Samberg won a Golden Globe for his role on Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

I certainly hope that Will Forte will have a large role in Tour de Pharmacy. He's helped to make Last Man on Earth one of the funniest, quirkiest shows that also manages to be heartfelt and surprise on a regular basis. He's the perfect mixture of awkward, weirdly funny and emotional to give a mockumentary about doping the right kind of crazy edge. Forte can also been seen in 7 Days in Hell and Grownups 2, and has done a lot of voice work for shows like Gravity Falls, The Cleveland Show and Bob's Burgers.

The combo of Andy Samberg and Will Forte will surely make Tour de Pharmacy a project to stay tuned for. We'll keep you updated on information about the movie as it becomes available.

Getting ahead in Hollywood requires extreme diligence and the willingness to break new ground with the roles one takes. Few actors seem to understand that better that Domhnall Gleeson. Over the last year, the actor has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Despite his busy schedule with the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII, it now seems that the young actor has signed on for a major part in an upcoming Netflix biopic about the founding of iconic humor magazine National Lampoon.

A new report from THR indicates that Gleeson has joined the project, titled A Futile and Stupid Gesture. The film – directed by Wet Hot American Summer's David Wain – will follow the dark story of Doug Kenney, who founded the legendary humor magazine with Henry Beard and Robert Hoffman shortly before his mysterious death in the 1980.

Saturday Night Live alum Will Forte has already signed onto the project to portray Doug Kenney – a role which will allow the career funnyman to stretch his dramatic muscles a bit more than he’s used to. Gleeson will portray Kenney's friend and associate Henry Beard, who would go on to become a best-selling author following the founding of the magazine. Although Gleeson has committed to the production of Star Wars: Episode VIII, it seems that all parties involved have made concessions allowing him to participate in both films.

We have to tip our hats to Domhnall Gleeson, who has time and time again proven himself as one of the most hard working up and comers in Hollywood today. Not content with relying on the benefits of nepotism – his father is powerhouse actor Brendan Gleeson – Domhnall has shown himself unafraid of trying out different genres and roles during his career.

Just in the last year, he has had substantial parts in acclaimed films such as The Revenant, Ex Machina, Brooklyn and – perhaps most notably – Star Wars: The Force Awakens, where he played high-ranking First Order officer, Hux. We feel safe in our claim that Domhnall Gleeson’s agent deserves a huge bonus for the work he or she is doing.

We will keep you posted regarding any and all details related to A Futile and Stupid Gesture. The film will begin production later this month and premiere on Netflix. Stay tuned for more details!

Fox’s The Last Man on Earth has been a surprisingly funny series that managed to turn what should have been an impossible premise for a comedy – following the journey of the last surviving man on the planet – into something often hilarious. Of course, the show was helped by the fact that Last Man on Earth’s titular last man Phil Tandy Miller didn’t remain alone for very long, but a lot of what works about the series is due to creator and star Will Forte. The second half of Season 2 will see Forte giving viewers a look at a young Phil #1 with the casting of Jacob Tremblay.

According to a report from Deadline, Tremblay’s turn as Tandy will occur in an episode slated to air this spring. Considering that Last Man on Earth is not exactly a time travel spectacular, we can probably safely assume that Tandy will be flashing back to pre-apocalyptic days of his youth.

Young Phil/Pre-Tandy will undoubtedly be played well, no matter what the context. Tremblay has been a busy boy in showbiz in the nine years of his life. His first role came back in 2013 in an episode of TV series Motive, though in the years since, he’s spent most of his professional time working on films. His latest project was rather high-profile as he took on the role of Jack opposite Brie Larson in the Oscar-nominated Room. Tremblay has received a breakthrough performance award from the National Board of Review and the Critics’ Choice Best Young Actor Award, in addition to a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. Brie Larson isn’t the only big name performer with whom Tremblay will be accumulating big screen experience, as The Book of Henry will see him work with the likes of Naomi Watts, Sarah Silverman, and Dean Norris, while Burn Your Maps will set him alongside Vera Farmiga.

All things considered, it’s somewhat surprising that a boy with a resume such as Jacob Tremblay's would find himself playing a small part in a half-hour Fox comedy series, but at least we can expect that he’ll be pretty great in the role. The Last Man on Earth has done more exploration of Tandy’s past in Season 2, usually by dropping hints and clues. The likelihood of Jacob Tremblay playing Tandy in a flashback means that we’ll be getting a firsthand look at the child behind the man...child.

Unfortunately, there’s no word just yet of the exact spring date that The Last Man on Earth will be returning from hiatus, so we still have a bit of a wait ahead of us before we see Jacob Tremblay as a young Tandy. Luckily, there are plenty of great shows that have already been scheduled for 2016, and you can check out our list of TV premiere dates here.

It would only make sense for a show as absurd as Fox’s The Last Man on Earth to shoot near some similarly absurd businesses. As it turns out, actress Kristen Schaal recently revealed that they produce to show on a set near a dildo factory. Well, the dildo factory got wind of the shout out, and recently allowed the entire crew to tour their premises. Tandy Miller himself Will Forte appeared on Conan last night, and went into hilariously awkward detail about the experience. Check the video out below.

Forte prefaced the entire story by reminding us they dildos do not in fact occur naturally in nature, like any other consumer product professionals in a factory environment create them. As his tour with the rest of the Last Man on Earth crew progressed through the factory, he realized that there are actually real people who make a real living taking part in the various stages of dildo manufacturing, from someone who pours latex into a mold to a nice group of ladies who paint the finer details of the phallic love toys.

As it also turns out, dildo factories provide a much more diversified service than their name would suggest. At one point during the tour, Forte and his crew had the pleasure – or displeasure, since it’s really a matter of perspective – of watching workers at the factory take a mold of a woman’s set of equipment to be replicated and sold to the general public.

Of course, Forte did not leave the tour empty handed. He walked away from the experience with a box full of hilariously absurd items, such as a water cooler shaped dispenser of lube which he claims he has not used, and nipple clamps that he most certainly did try on. See for yourself below:

By the time Forte ends his story about his trip to the dildo factory, he reveals that he actually has a gift for host Conan O'Brien. He reveals a wrapped cylindrical object from behind Conan’s desk and hands it to the befuddled host; as you can probably imagine, it begins to vibrate and even worms its way out of the wrapping and onto the desk for the world to see.

Let this be a lesson, if you’ve ever had an interest in learning the fine art of dildo making, there are factories that may be willing to offer a tour, and they exist right here in the United States of America.

Will Forte's The Last Man on Earth airs Sundays on Fox at 9:30 PM EST.

Although it may have taken a brief hiatus during the latter half of The Last Man On Earth’s first season, Tandy (Will Forte) brought his beard back in full force for Season 2. However, as fashionable as beards have become in recent years, growing one out means putting up with a lot of crap. As Forte just found out on a recent Tonight Show appearance, that statement could potentially be taken literally.

While appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Forte opened up about how he had recently been reading numerous articles suggesting that beards can become “riddled with fecal matter.” Fearing the same for his own face, the actor enlisted the help of a UCLA researcher to take samples of his facial hair and test for trace amounts of – putting it bluntly – crap.

Flanked by fellow Saturday Night Live alum Rachel Dratch and powerhouse SNL host Jon Hamm, Forte nervously allowed Jimmy Fallon to announce the results of the rest: no poop. Upon hearing this revelation, the crowd bursts into applause and Forte lets out near blood curdling scream to express his happiness at the news. The man deserves his award nominations for acting – he knows how to emote like a champion.

However, just because Forte’s beard was free of fecal matter did not necessarily make it clean. The test found various forms of bacteria that could have been picked up in numerous, common, and equally disgusting parts of his life. Despite the presence of these bacteria, the comedian still breathed easier knowing that his worst fears had not been realized.

Growing out such robust facial hair has served a far greater purpose than merely implying a long passage of time for The Last Man On Earth. The beard has become an integral part of Phil Tandy Miller’s attempt at a redemptive arc this season. Forte explained prior to the season premiere that the beard represents Tandy at the earliest stages of the audience’s relationship with the character. Without the beard, the character became malicious and a genuine bad guy to those around him; but with the beard, he is at least attempting – albeit poorly – to try and do the right thing for those around him.

Regardless of you how feel about The Last Man On Earth, or about Will Forte himself, it’s safe to say that we all sighed with relief to find out he was not carrying human waste around on his face for the last few months. If you haven’t checked the clip out yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. Forte’s reaction alone to finding out he doesn’t have poop in his beard makes it worth it – that is what genuine happiness looks like.

Films based on recurring Saturday Night Live skits run the gamut in terms of quality. For every Blues Brothers, we get Blues Brothers 2000. 2010’s MacGruber exists somewhere off the spectrum altogether. Will Forte’s MacGyver spoof didn’t exactly make a huge impression at the box office, but has since gone on to become a modern comedic cult classic. Fans of the action parody have wanted to see the maniac ex-soldier return to the silver screen, and now it seems that the creative forces behind the film share their passion.

In a recent interview with EW, Forte discussed his passion for bringing MacGruber back to the big screen, as well as the sheer absurdity that the creative team would bring to the sequel’s opening scene:

By contrast, the opening scene of MacGruber played things fairly straight before the audience got introduced to the titular hero – skewering just about every 1980’s action trope in the process. Over the course of the film, everything slowly devolves into a farce of over the top violence and sexual gratuity. Those who have seen the original film know that Forte has no qualms with crazy. This is a character that likens throat ripping to bowling, commits his enemy’s license plates to memory -- KFBR392, KFBR392, KFBR392 -- and is generally so morally corrupt that the villain’s motives almost seem completely justified. Basically, for Forte to hesitate about his idea for the sequel’s opening scene – even for a moment – means that it must be gold.

For the time being, Forte has kept incredibly busy with his Emmy nominated tenure on Fox’s The Last Man on Earth. His commitment to the series has prevented him from diving headlong into the creative process for a MacGruber sequel. An outline for the film is nearing completion, and Forte states that he will return to the process of finishing the outline – as well as a subsequent script – sometime in February when his commitments to the show become less rigorous.

Are you excited about the prospect of MacGruber 2? What could Forte possibly bring to the opening scene to make it so crazy? Until he dons the mullet and vest again, you can check out Will Forte on The Last Man on Earth every Sunday on Fox.