Thursday, January 16, 2014

I Have Spent My Life Acting In Films In Order To Host This Episode Of Saturday Night Live!

Thank you! Thank you. Oh, thank you so much!

Thank you.

Ugh, it is so great to be hosting Saturday Night Live!

Listen, there is a monologue that the writers worked on for me, making some jokes about my early less-than-popular roles in bargain-bin films, leading up to a small dance number in the style of my most recent movie, “Underprivileged Youth Can Achieve Anything With Music.”

Thank you, thank you.

However, instead I'm going to go off-card because I want to talk about how surreal it is to be hosting SNL. I mean, this is why I got into acting!

I hear some chuckles, but I don't think you fully understood what I just told you. I seriously got into show business so that I could spend an hour and a half performing live sketches in the middle of the night. This has been my dream since I was eight years old and I caught a rerun of “The Best of Will Ferrell” on E!. Watching the likes of Alec Baldwin and Christopher Walken change costumes and play different characters and celebrities looked like a dream to me, and it was a dream I knew I could achieve with hard work, dedication, and a string of Golden Globe nominations.

I can see the people behind the cameras right now looking around and Keenan Thompson off to the side in a tutu, waiting for his cue to come out. It's not coming, Nickelodeon. We're too far off-script now. You can go get changed for What Up With That.

Anyways, hosting comes with a lot of great little bits: filming promos, which you've been watching all week; spending time at the Weekend Update desk as some strange character; introducing the musical guest. I mean, I get to introduce fucking U2! Can you believe that?!

Needless to say, I am supremely excited for tonight. It's nice to know it all finally paid off—the improv classes, the six years at Julliard, the endless networking to mercilessly claw my way from the bottom. I eventually worked with Martin Scorsese, Stephen Spielberg, and Clint Eastwood. I have two Oscars under my belt, the youngest person to do that. I have performed in over 60 films, from cameos to leads. I even guest starred on “The Mindy Project” to help out a friend. And now I'm here.

Look, they don't give hosting duties to just anyone! You have to be famous, and not just a little famous—you have to be one of the most recognized faces in the world! Take Edward Norton for example: damn fine actor. Loved “American History X.” Eh, I could take or leave “Fight Club.” Regardless, he had quite a track record, and yet had never hosted Saturday Night Live. But as soon as he teamed up with Wes Anderson for a couple of flicks, BOOM! Instant host.

Lorne Michaels is coming down the aisle way now, so I had better wrap this up so we can get the show on the road, as I'm sure they might say here. All I have to say is that the next hour and 20 minutes are going to be a literal dream come true. Seriously, I've had reoccurring fantasies about this night for close to 19 years now.


So stick around, we've got a great show for you. U2 is here! We'll be right back!

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