Twenty-four years after he said goodbye, one of Saturday Night Live‘s most popular cast members ever will return to 30 Rockefeller Center to host the show for the first time.
Grab your guitars and put on your red-hooded sweatshirts, because Adam Sandler will finally add another bullet point to his Hall-of-Fame SNL career: host. Despite being one of the most successful performers to ever come from the show, both during his run and since he left, Sandler has never actually hosted, as so many other Saturday Night Live alums have. That’s going to change when he leads the May 4 edition with musical guest Sean Mendes, who’ll be making his second appearance.
The show made the surprise announcement via Twitter, and Josh Gad’s reaction pretty much speaks for everyone who grew up watching Sandler perform on the show.
WHAT?!!! @AdamSandler is coming back to host? WHAT?!!!!! https://t.co/CFbwMB2xgi
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) April 5, 2019
Sandler, who originally joined the show as a writer in 1990, starred as a featured cast member on SNL in 1991, and sticked around through 1995. He was maybe best known for his original songs, like “The Hanukkah Song,” “Lunch Lady Land,” and “The Thanksgiving Song.” Among his most memorable characters were Opera Man, Cajun Man, and exhausted husband Hank Gelfand, though even if we don’t see any of them we’d be very happy to get some new costume ideas from him.
It might have to do with his upcoming tour this summer, 100% Fresher, based on his hit Netflix special from last year. After years of making more kid- and family-friendly comedies, that special seemed to remind people that there was a reason he was so beloved on SNL. But actually seeing him on Saturday Night Live will be an even better way to do that.
Featured Image: NBC
