Jake Gyllenhaal is back on the Studio 8H stage!
The 41-year-old actor finally returned to Saturday Night Live over the weekend. And along with musical guest Camila Cabello, he did not disappoint in bringing some fun and memorable moments for this week’s episode!
Since it has been 15 years since Jake first hosted the late-night sketch comedy series, he had to take a little stroll down memory lane right off the bat. During his opening monologue, the Brokeback Mountain star joked about how long it has been since he’s graced the SNL stage, saying:
“I am so excited to be back at SNL. The last time I hosted was the year 2007. You know how long ago that was? That was like 400 Marvel movies ago. To give you an idea of what it was like in 2007, in the show I hosted, there was a George W. Bush sketch, there were jokes about the first iPhone, and this is a photo of me from my monologue.”
Related: SNL ROASTS Will Smith Over Oscars Slap!
Showing off a picture of himself from his hosting debut in which he was in a wig and dress with Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, and Kristen Wiig, he continued:
“There I am in full drag, singing a song from Dreamgirls, to promote a movie where I played a gay cowboy. That was actually the least problematic thing in that episode, but looking back, I feel like I was a totally different person.”
Jake went on to explain how he had got a rep for being “this serious, intense method actor,” noting that he was only doing that “method stuff” to be a serious actor. But now, it seems like all he wants to do is embrace the fun side of the job! He said:
“That’s when I realized something I should have realized a long time ago — acting is a really stupid job. It’s pretend and it’s fun, and it should be filled with joy. Well, I’m finally embracing that joy again, and that’s why I’m back standing on this stage.”
So how does he plan on finding the joy in acting again? By belting out the track, It’s All Coming Back to Me Now by Celine Dion, of course!
“I never thought SNL would come calling again. I mean, it’s been 15 years and I wasn’t sure I’d remember how to host, but being here tonight it feels like everything is suddenly coming back.”
Is it all coming back now because he knows it all too well? Sorry, we had to! Ch-ch-check out his dazzling number with cast members Chloe Fineman, Ego Nwodim, and Cecily Strong:
So good!
While the rest of the show had moved on from covering the infamous Oscars slap, the hosts over on the “Weekend Update” couldn’t help but poke fun at Will Smith being banned from the Academy Awards for the next 10 years. In fact, Colin Jost took a moment to question whether or not that’s actually a “punishment” or not. He quipped:
“Is that a punishment? He can still be nominated and even win an award. He can even go to the after-party. He just doesn’t have to attend the four-hour ceremony where someone is definitely going to make fun of his wife again.”
What would he do instead? The 39-year-old said a real penalty would be to make Will host next year’s Oscars. Referring to when he hosted the 2018 Emmys with co-anchor Michael Che, he said:
“Trust me. Nothing will make you question your choices in life more than hosting an awards show.”
We have a feeling not everyone would agree with Colin’s alternative punishment. Watch the “Weekend Update” (below):
To make things a little awkward, Camila actually brought along her collaborator Willow Smith for a performance of their song Psychofreak later on. She also sang her song Bam Bam, delivering a bright and energetic performance for the audience. Ch-ch-check it out:
AH-mazing!
In case you missed it, here are some more highlights from last night’s episode of SNL:
What did you think of this week’s episode, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments!
[Image via Saturday Night Live/ YouTube]
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