Last night, Adam Sandler hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time since leaving the show in 1995. In fact, he made fun of his firing in a musical number during the opening monologue that featured a cameo by SNL-alum Chris Rock.
Sandler asked Rock why he left the show. “Why did I leave the show? Well, Adam, I got fired,” Rock sang. “I was fired. I was fired by NBC. Then I went on In Living Color, three weeks later they took it off TV.”
The bit ended with tabloid-favorite Pete Davidson coming out to sing about his own firing only to have Sandler interrupt him to say he hasn’t been fired. “How is that even possible?” an incredulous Davidson responded. “I don’t know, but be patient ‘cause it’s coming soon,” Sandler said.
That wasn’t the only reference to Sandler’s time on SNL, he also reprised his “Opera Man” character for “Weekend Update.”
But the highlight of the night was Sandler capping his hosting stint off with a touching musical tribute to his friend and former castmate Chris Farley.
Ending the night with @AdamSandler's tribute to Chris Farley. 💌 #SNL pic.twitter.com/FW1KkIETFu
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) May 5, 2019
The song was bittersweet, referencing Farley’s most popular performances and also his hard-partying personality, complete with cautions that he could end up like late comedians John Belushi and John Candy, both dead before their time. It also offered some behind-the-scenes moments of Farley, with a story about him crying while thinking about his father and attending mass every Sunday (albeit hungover). It was an emotional and fitting tribute to a bygone era of Saturday Night Live and one of the cast members who made it so memorable.
h/t: CNN