Who is Hosting Saturday Night Live Tonight: February 11, 2017
Who is Hosting SNL Tonight? Alec Baldwin!
It’s a big night at 30 Rockefeller Center, Studio 8H tonight and expectations are high all around. Alec Baldwin is hosting tonight, breaking his own longstanding record for most number of times hosting SNL- this will be his 17th time hosting the show. Steve Martin and John Goodman both are close with 15 and 13 times hosting the show, but for the moment, Baldwin’s record seems untouchable. He last hosted in November 2015, and he’s been an SNL staple all year with his unforgettable Donald Trump impression.
To promote tonight’s episode, SNL posted Baldwin’s first ever SNL monologue, first delivered in 1990. Baldwin talked about being nervous to do the monologue, so he was following some advice and focusing on charm. At the time, he was probably best known as the kindly former inhabitant of a house in Beetlejuice, and a smarmy ex in Working Girl. Since then, Baldwin has frequently had someone join him on stage for part of his monologue, after all a Baldwin appearance on SNL is an event. Then in 1991, he wondered if he still had it, a nod back to his first appearance, and was joined by Whitney Houston, Victoria Jackson, Conan O’Brien, Jon Lovitz and Arthur Kent. In 1993, Baldwin went backstage, then in 1994, wife Kim Basinger joined Baldwin as co-host. In 1996, he became a dad and got some monologue advice from David Koechner and Mark McKinney, In 1998, John Goodman and Jimmy Fallon appeared during his monologue as ghosts of Christmas past, and Darrell Hammond joined him on stage as Bill Clinton in 2001. In 2010, Steve Martin joined Baldwin for a memorable commencement speech monologue, During his most recent 2015 host spot, Steve Martin and Seth Rogen did run ins.
Since then Baldwin has become a part of the SNL fabric with as many memorable characters and sketches as some full time cast members. His Schweddy Balls and Canteen Boy sketch would be a contender for any top sketches of all time list, and the sketches celebrating the record holding SNL hosts (5 Timers Club, Platinum Club) are also classics. Trump is only his most recent impression. Before portraying Trump, Baldwin has played roles as Tony Bennett, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, David Hasselhoff, Rex Reed and more.
Baldwin will be joined on February 11th by musical guest Ed Sheeran, who has performed on the show once before.
To promote tonight’s episode, SNL put out three videos. In the first, SNL created a countdown, or more accurately a count-up of moments from his last 16 hosting appearances, celebrating Baldwin’s appearances from 1990 through 2017. A second promo features Baldwin pontificating on his big return. Filmed in black and white, it’s Baldwin’s inner voice you hear talking about the momentous return, until he hits the stage and is reminded by Vanessa Bayer that he was just here last week. Baldwin ends letting the viewer know, “it’s a big deal.” In the third promo video with musical guest Ed Sheeran, Cecily Strong wants to compliment a great Trump impression– Ed’s.
