How SNL 50 Paid Tribute to Late Saturday Night Live Cast Members
Saturday Night Live is bidding farewell to some of its most beloved cast members.
During SNL 50: The Anniversary Special—a three-hour program marking the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live—the sketch show honored several of its past stars who have died.
Phil Hartman, Norm Macdonald and Chris Farley were among the late comedians recognized in Adam Sandler's touching tribute song on the Feb. 16 show, which aired on Peacock and NBC.
While playing guitar on stage, Sandler shouted out how many years various cast members were a part of the show, saying the world got "8 of Hartman 'The Glue,'" referring to the nickname of the funnyman, who died in 1998 at age 49.
"Six years of our boy Farley, five of our buddy Norm," Sandler sang. "Fifty years of the best times of our lives."
Macdonald—who died of acute leukemia in 2021—was also honored during Michael Che's "Weekend Update" segment.
More from E! Online
SNL Fans React to Bill Hader's Absence From 50th Anniversary Special
SNL 50: Blake Lively Reacts After Ryan Reynolds Jokes About Justin Baldoni Scandal
SNL 50 Red Carpet Fashion: See Every Celebrity Arrive
"Since the 40th, we've lost the late great Norm Macdonald, who hosted 'Weekend Update,'" Che shared, "until he was fired for making jokes about OJ Simpson."
"And he's obviously one of my heroes," he continued, before quipping, "so if you're watching up there, I just want to say, we love you OJ."
Adam Sandler's Song: 50 Years #SNL50 pic.twitter.com/tACkE3xNiJ— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) February 17, 2025
In addition to honoring the late cast members, the landmark show reunited several former SNL stars from over the years.
Molly Shannon, Seth Meyers, Adam Sandler, Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, Chris Rock, Fred Armisen, Jason Sudeikis, Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey and Will Ferrell all returned to Rockefeller Center for the occasion, as did Kenan Thompson, the longest-running cast member in history.
And while SNL has been a TV staple for decades, it didn't start out that way.
"It was a little dinky late-night show," creator Lorne Michaels told People in 1989. "It wasn't going to change anything."
In fact, he admitted that the team was "making it up as we went along, but people seem to have the impression that it sprang full-blown from Zeus's thigh."
Season one star Chevy Chase added that the cast only started to recognize the impact of the show when fans called out to them on the streets of New York, quoting the previous night's most hilarious sketches.
"We were up all night all the time, always working, always on a high, always feeling that we had something new and that people couldn't wait to see it," he told the outlet. "We didn't really know if it was good or not, just that we had plenty of ideas."
To see which celebrities attended SNL 50: The Anniversary Special, read on.
(E!, SNL, NBC and Peacock are all part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Blake Lively and Ryan ReynoldsKim KardashianMiley CyrusPete DavidsonDakota JohnsonLady Gaga and Michael PolanskyScarlett Johansson and Colin JostJackie Sandler and Adam SandlerKenan ThompsonTom Hanks and Rita WilsonSabrina CarpenterMeryl StreepEddie MurphyEmma Stone and Dave McCaryAlexander Edwards and CherBad BunnyAmy PoehlerTina FeyMaya RudolphMiles Teller and Keleigh Sperry TellerDrew BarrymoreZahra Rock and Chris RockWill FerrellChris Fischer and Amy Schumer
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Trisha Yearwood on July 4 concert, her faith: 'What you lean on in hard times'
NBC's 49th annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks special includes 80,000 exploding shells and two returning American classics – the Brooklyn Bridge (for the first time since 2019) and Trisha Yearwood. Yearwood, 60, admits she doesn't perform on Independence Day anymore, "unless it's something really big, like this." So the singer returns to the stage for a pre-fireworks concert hosted by Ariana DeBose that also features the Jonas Brothers, Lenny Kravitz, Keke Palmer and Eric Church. The special airs at 8 ET/PT, and streams live on Peacock. The country music icon, who has been married to Garth Brooks for two decades, was inspired to perform songs from her upcoming album, "The Mirror" (out July 18). "The album is very personal to me, having co-written every song on it, which I've never done before," Yearwood tells USA TODAY from her Nashville home. "I'm still figuring out which two songs I'm going to sing from it. But we're going to make it fun." Here's what to know: The July 4 concert got Yearwood out of grilling hot dogs for 250,000 The July 4 concert pulled Yearwood out of working at Nashville's Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk, owned owned by Brooks, who's been largely out of the spotlight amid a civil suit alleging he raped a former employee and his countersuit calling the accusations a "shakedown." But in a cheeky June 19 Instagram video, Yearwood tells Brooks that they are cooking out for "a quarter of a million" people on July 4, adding in the comments that Friends In Low Places will give out free hot dogs on the holiday. "Macy's got me out of it. So I'll be missing out on cooking 250,000 hot dogs," says Yearwood, who admits the number is an exaggeration. "Nashville is expecting a quarter of a million visitors that day, and we hope they all come to the bar. We don't know when we'll run out of hot dogs." Yearwood spends most July 4 holidays at the couple's Nashville home, which has hillside views of downtown. "So we can watch the Nashville fireworks and other towns from here. When I'm home, that's what I like to do with friends," Yearwood says. This anthem is generally Yearwood's July 4 must-play When Yearwood was headlining July 4 concerts two decades ago, she leaned on one power song. "I always do the national anthem," she says. There's a power in that song that really says, 'We are America.'" The pro believes in singing "The Star Spangled Banner" a cappella. "My parents were always like, 'Sing the national anthem like it was written.' Even if they're both gone now, I still sing it that way, straightforward." However, Yearwood's favorite version of the anthem is Whitney Houston's famous 1991 Super Bowl power rendition. "That's the be-all (and) end-all," Yearwood says. "We can't all do it like that. So just do it your way." Yearwood also admires Martina McBride's "Independence Day" for the holiday. "It's really not a happy song about July 4, but it's generally an up vibe," Yearwood says. "I've played that at many July 4 shows." Her 1991 breakout hit "She's In Love With the Boy" is also concert-mandatory. "It pretty much works every holiday," Yearwood says. "If I'm doing a full show and I don't do that song, they'll probably carry me off the stage anyway." Yearwood sings of faith in 'Angels': 'It's what gets you through' Yearwood has been opening recent concerts with the "barn-burner" song "Bringing the Angels," inspired by a deep conversation about faith with her sister Beth Bernard, who received a writing credit. "However your faith looks to you, it's what gets you through, what you rely on, what you lean on in hard times," says Yearwood. "My life is not perfect, and my life has not been perfect. I feel a strength in knowing that I'm not alone in it. That's what (faith) is to me. I feel sorry for people who don't have something to draw on." As Beth was ready to head home after the spirited talk, she said to Yearwood, "Man, we are really bringing the angels today." "And it was like, 'That's the song,' It kind of wrote itself," says Yearwood, who adds that she's always had powerful faith. "I'm not a wear-it-on-my-sleeve person." Pro tip: Stay hydrated in life, July 4 concerts Yearwood credits being in the "best shape of my life" to basic vital care. "I drink a lot of water and get my sleep, all the things I didn't do in my 20s and 30s." The singer is already focused on July 4 hydration. "I'm taking my full band with me, and we'll have tons of water," Yearwood says. "My biggest career lesson is don't overthink it. I'll have my water, somebody will do my hair and makeup, and I'm going to be cute. It's going to be fine." How to watch the Macy's July 4 concert and fireworks The Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show airs on NBC at 8 ET/PT (streaming live on Peacock) with the fireworks beginning at 9:25 ET/PT. There will be an hour-long NBC encore presentation at 10 EST/PST. Telemundo's telecast will air at 9 ET/PT.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Julie Bowen Thought ‘Happy Gilmore 2' Would Replace Her With a ‘Younger Woman': ‘I Didn't Think They'd Bring Me Back at All'
Julie Bowen was surprised when Netflix asked her to return for 'Happy Gilmore 2.' During a recent interview on the 'Inside of You' podcast, Bowen explained she was certain she'd be replaced as the love interest for Adam Sandler's titular golfer by a younger actress for the highly anticipated 'Happy Gilmore' sequel. More from Variety 'Pulse,' 'The Residence' Canceled at Netflix After One Season Each 'Squid Game' Success Validates Netflix Korea's Local-First Philosophy, Says Content Chief Don Kang (EXCLUSIVE) Netflix Veteran Raghav Khanna Wraps Cricket Doc 'Unbroken: The Unmukt Chand Story' (EXCLUSIVE) 'I didn't think they'd bring me back at all,' Bowen said. 'I mean, who am I supposed to be? He's got to have a younger woman in this one, 'Happy Gilmore 2.'' In the 1996 original, Bowen played Virginia Venit, a rep for the professional golf tour Happy joins. She serves as his guide on how to act in the public eye, and eventually, she and Happy fall in love. Bowen is set to reprise the role in the Netflix follow-up alongside original cast members Sandler, Ben Stiller and Christopher McDonald. Bowen went on to say that she wasn't confident she'd be in the first film either. She explained that at the time, she thought production would get a 'hot girl' to play the part. 'I read and they were relieved,' she added. 'They were visibly relieved. I go, 'What's going on?' They're like, 'Yeah, some of these girls are just so aggressively sexy.' And I was like, 'That's a bad thing?'' New cast members joining the 'Happy Gilmore' team include Margaret Qualley, Eric André, Sunny Sandler, Benny Safdie, Bad Bunny, Eminem and Travis Kelce. Although she has yet to see the final cut, Bowen said she has less screentime in 'Happy Gilmore 2' than in the original. Even so, she said her co-star, Sandler, keeps encouraging her not to de-emphasize her importance. She said, 'Adam's like, 'Stop saying that. You're the heart of the movie.'' 'Happy Gilmore 2' releases on Netflix July 25. Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Business Insider
5 hours ago
- Business Insider
'Love Island USA' proves we're used to being watched
If you want to understand how constantly carrying a camera in your pocket has affected the way we think, behave, and fall in love, watch "Love Island USA." On Tuesday, the 26th (!!!) episode of season seven aired on Peacock, meaning the original cast members have been secluded in an open-air Fiji villa for about one month. Based on how the show typically progresses, by this time, there should be several strong connections between the islanders, couples for the viewers to root for and, eventually, to vote for as joint winners of a $100,000 cash prize. Instead, a common refrain among viewers online is that, at this point, no one deserves the money. Calls for the producers to " cut the cameras" and " delete the whole cast" abound. This season has made a negative impression for various reasons, chief among them being an apparent lack of sincerity. The islanders seem hyper-aware of their role as entertainers and competitors, much too preoccupied with how they're being perceived by an invisible audience to be truly honest and vulnerable with each other. Can we blame them? It's not only that cameras are pointed at the islanders from every angle, in every nook and cranny of the villa, during every minute of the day — it's that reality TV has reached the point where viable cast members are already accustomed to those exact conditions. It's painfully clear that living in an age of constant surveillance has taken its toll on these twentysomethings. This season, the cast's ages have ranged from 21 (Vanna) to 29 (Zak), though most hover in the 23-27 range. Their lives have been defined by the advent and proliferation of smartphones; the rise of YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok; and with these gadgets and platforms, a new kind of celebrity known as the "influencer." These days, some genre of content creator is one of the most commonly cited dream jobs for Gen Alpha kids. Speaking as someone who came of age in a post-9/11 world, who happily forked over my personal data to Mark Zuckerberg when I had yet to hit puberty, my generation's expectation of privacy ceased to exist pretty quickly. But when a person grows up idolizing those who found fame by broadcasting their personal lives, the value of privacy is also lost. Meanwhile, the expectation to perform is more intense than ever. Even beyond the villa, it feels like there are spectators everywhere we go — with the way social media trends leak into real life and how people have normalized filming strangers and themselves in the hopes of going viral. Amaya Espinal is one of the few islanders not afraid to show real emotion Inside the villa, this expectation is dialed up to maximum levels. With the exception of Amaya Espinal — who is so raw and sincere that her willingness to express emotion has been repeatedly mocked by her castmates — the Gen Zers on "Love Island" seem to be putting up a front because they probably are; it comes as naturally to them as posing for a photo or curating a dating app profile. This inevitably makes it difficult for the islanders to forge genuine intimacy, especially in the fires of reality TV. As April Eldemire, a licensed marriage and family therapist, previously told Business Insider's Julia Pugachevsky, vulnerability and open communication are keys to a lasting relationship. "You have to go in with open eyes," she said. However, this doesn't necessarily make the islanders "fake." It makes them products of an environment that billionaires and tech companies created — and a tragic mirror for the rest of us.
