Every Cameo, Character Twist, and Performance Highlight
“Saturday Night Live” is marking its 50th anniversary this evening. The milestone special promises an abundance of laughter, musical performances, nostalgic moments, and unexpected surprises. If you’re curious about what’s to come, revisiting the highlights from the 40th anniversary celebration could offer some hints.
Check out the standout moments from the 2015 special below:
Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake kicked off the anniversary show in stylish tuxedos and top hats, delivering a musical performance that paid homage to the show’s most iconic sketches. Rachel Dratch made a memorable appearance as Debbie Downer, while Molly Shannon reprised her beloved character, the awkward schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher.
Steve Martin took the stage for the opening monologue, joined by a plethora of “SNL” legends who made special appearances, including Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crystal, and Paul Simon, who shared an impromptu duet with Paul McCartney on “I’ve Just Seen a Face.”
In a tribute to the classic 1976 sketch “Bass-O-Matic,” original cast member Dan Aykroyd returned to showcase an updated version of blending bass into smoothies, while Will Ferrell reprised his role as Alex Trebek in the beloved “Celebrity Jeopardy” sketch.
Jack Nicholson made a special appearance to introduce a retrospective honoring the show’s four decades of political satire, alongside Larry David, who hosted a nostalgic Q&A session with the audience.
The evening featured a star-studded rendition of the popular sketch “The Californians,” including former “SNL” cast members Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Fred Armisen, along with cameos from Bradley Cooper, Taylor Swift, Laraine Newman, Kerry Washington, and Betty White.
Original cast member Jane Curtin returned to the anchor desk, reprising her role on “Weekend Update.” Additionally, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey revisited their roots by bringing back their cable access show, “Wayne’s World.”
Throughout the night, there were heartfelt tributes to past cast members like Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, and Tracy Morgan.
And, as expected, there were numerous musical highlights, including another performance from Paul McCartney, who sang his timeless classic “Maybe I’m Amazed,” and a rendition by Miley Cyrus covering Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.”
Paul Simon then made a return to the stage for a touching rendition of “Still Crazy After All These Years,” a song he notoriously performed in a giant turkey costume while hosting “SNL” in 1976.
The “SNL 40th Anniversary Special” concluded with the illustrious five-timer Steve Martin bidding farewell alongside showrunner and creator Lorne Michaels.
