Saturday Night Live took a jibe at actor Steven Seagal in a new promo for the show’s latest episode, as it teased the return of veteran comic Dave Chappelle.
The popular American comedy sketch show usually features an interaction between a musical guest and the SNL cast for its marketing.
But in the trailer released on Wednesday (15 January), it teased the return of Chappelle while taking a shot at the Under Fire actor.
“Studio 8H. New York City’s hallowed comedy ground, a 50-year tradition of laughter at Saturday Night Live,” a narrator says as a camera pans through hallways lined with A-List celebrities including Forrest Gump actor Tom Hanks, “7 Rings” singer Ariana Grande, and Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberbatch.
“All the greats have passed through these halls…Also, Steven Seagal. And this Saturday…Dave’s back.”
The camera then pans to Chappelle sitting on a stool with a mic.
Cast members have previously called out Seagal for being the worst host in the show’s history. Last year, 8 Simple Rules star David Spade recalled getting in trouble for saying that the actor had been the worst host to work with on SNL during a 2015 interview on Watch What Happens Live.
Spade said of Seagal at the time: “He was a little tough. I mean, he was actually tough, and he was tough to work with. It was hard. He did not want to play along.”
In March 2023, Seagal drew criticism as he declared himself “one million per cent” Russian after receiving an award from president Vladimir Putin. Seagal pledged his allegiance to Russia during an event held by the International Movement of Russians in Moscow.
During the event, he also accused the US of spending “billions of dollars on disinformation, lies”, which he said was an attempt to “try to discredit, demoralise and destroy the emerging morale of Russia”.
Meanwhile, Chappelle’s stint will mark his third return to the show after he addressed the country following presidential elections in 2016 and 2020, before returning in 2022. He is joined by musical guest GloRilla as well as Timothée Chalamet who will return to host for the third time as a rare non-pro musical guest.
Promoting his new film, a Bob Dylan biopic called A Complete Unknown, Chalamet is believed to be performing covers of some of the legendary musician’s original songs.
