Alum Bill Burr Hosting Saturday Night Live This Weekend

Bill Burr ’93, the creator and star of the animated show F Is for Family, will be hosting Saturday Night for the first first time this weekend.

Burr was rather excited by the news, and let Netflix share how excited he is to host.

When you find out Bill Burr is hosting SNL. Congrats @billburr!!! pic.twitter.com/d7Qe5y9AlK

— Netflix Is A Joke (@NetflixIsAJoke) October 2, 2020

The Massachusetts native can add hosting the most famous sketch comedy show to his varied acting and standup career. Most recently Burr starred in an episode of Disney+’s The Mandalorian, and Netflix’s The King of Staten Island opposite SNL’s Pete Davidson. Many people remember Burr’s role as a henchman in Breaking Bad, or on several episodes of Chappelle’s Show.

Burr also has his own podcast, Bill’s Monday Morning Podcast, where he rambles about New Jersey, physicist groupies, Cobra Kai, famous inventors, and more. He’s continued to tour as a standup comedian through the years, and has had six comedy specials, five of which are on Netflix. In April he also participated in Laugh Aid, a four-hour live stream to benefit the Comedy Gives Back’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund.

Also, as he notes on his personal website, he believes that we should go back to the gold standard for our currency and, “None of his opinions are based on any sort of reliable information. He tends to go with his first thought, because reading makes him sleepy.”

Other Emersonians have also appeared on Saturday Night Live, including Norman Lear ’44, who hosted in 1976. Laura Kightlinger ‘86 was a cast member in 1994-1995 and played Marcia Clark. Comedian Stephen Wright did numerous guest standup performances (Saturday Night Live used to have comedians do standup spot) in 1983, 1984, and 1985. Jay Leno hosted in 1986, and was impersonated a handful of times.

It will be very hard to beat Jack Pardo ’42, when it comes to being on the show, because he was the SNL announcer for an incredible 38 years.

Denis Leary ’79 told Howard Stern he’s actually refused to host the show, but David Spade impersonated him in a 1993 episode. Jennifer Coolidge auditioned for the show in 1995, but wasn’t cast. Maria Menounos ’00 hasn’t hosted, but was impersonated in a 2010 episode by Nasim Pedrad. David Cross ’87 has talked about how he auditioned and didn’t make the cut.