The iconic series, Saturday Night Live, celebrated its 50th season with a captivating episode 16, which aired on March 29, 2025. This show featured the talented Mikey Madison, an Academy Award-winning actress, making her debut as the host. Complementing her was country music star Morgan Wallen, who graced the stage for his second performance on SNL.
The lineup for this episode was announced on March 19, showcasing not only the host and guest of the week but also setting the stage for upcoming episodes. Each installment continues to exemplify SNL’s legacy, merging elements of cinema, television, and music in a unique blend of entertainment.
Mikey Madison Takes the SNL Stage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLtI9mvgSro
Mikey Madison, recognized for her roles in acclaimed projects such as Anora, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Scream, and Better Things, delivered her hosting debut on SNL. Fresh off her Academy Award win for Anora, which also clinched the Best Picture award, Madison arrived in the spotlight ready to entertain.
During her opening monologue, she humorously acknowledged the intensity of her film roles, referring to her identity as a “horse girl”while sharing amusing anecdotes about her twin brother. Madison connected with the audience by quipping:
“If you guessed the one who looks like Ron Weasley on testosterone, you win.”
Memorable Sketches and Performances
This episode included a variety of engaging sketches, ranging from political satire to pop culture parodies. The cold open featured Madison, alongside cast members Ego Nwodim and Sarah Sherman, channeling the classic high school gossip nestled within a Signal group chat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQi5kBnZpU8
In a comedic twist, Andrew Dismukes appeared as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, inadvertently spilling national secrets while interacting in the chat, a contrast to the teenagers’ banter. Bowen Yang reprised his role as Vice President JD Vance in a continuation of the chat, with Marcello Hernández portraying Marco Rubio.
Another standout sketch titled “Acting Teacher 2″featured Hernández as an eccentric commercial acting instructor providing peculiar advice to aspiring actors, notably declaring:
“It’s a shoe ad, not a you ad!”
This sketch served as a clever sequel to an earlier installment. Elsewhere, the “Big Fat Line”skit humorously showcased characters queued up for trending viral foods, adopting exaggerated European accents set to an upbeat musical backdrop, with a cameo from Joe Jonas.
In addition to the laughter generated from sketches like “Jury Duty,”where Nwodim took on the role of a judge dealing with quirky jurors, and “Engagement,”which presented a couple discussing marriage amidst respective chaos, Morgan Wallen’s musical guest performance also highlighted the episode.
A Look at Madison’s Career and Award Recognition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrdJQJ_RXrQ
Prior to her SNL hosting, Madison celebrated winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Anora, amid stiff competition from nominees including Demi Moore and Cynthia Erivo. In her heartfelt acceptance speech, she expressed her overwhelming gratitude, stating:
“This is a dream come true; I’m probably gonna wake up tomorrow.”
She further praised the film’s director, Sean Baker, with warmth and sincerity, declaring:
“I adore you. This is all because of you.”
Madison’s portrayal in Anora has been met with critical acclaim, earning her accolades across numerous awards, including a BAFTA. Reflecting on her career growth post-Academy Award, she remarked:
“There are some things that I am really excited about and have my fingers crossed.”
Fans can catch new episodes of Saturday Night Live every Saturday at 11:30 PM ET on NBC, with next-day streaming available on Peacock.