Top 30 Surprisingly Good SNL Hosts

She’s married to Kenan Thompson, so she had to host eventually! In all seriousness, Emma Thompson is no stranger to quirky characters. Being best known for period dramas, though, many were surprised to find just how well this British actress fit in at Studio 8H. In addition to working off Tina Fey and Amy Poehler with ease, Thompson displays her rarely-seen physical comedy chops. She can go from a proper British etiquette coach to a WWE personality in the blink of an eye. In another sketch, she explores the two faces of motherhood, exposing the horror show underneath the flowery surface. From a Golden Age film actress to a Judge Judy clone, Thompson’s Emmy-nominated appearance slaps in more ways than one.

When he hosted “SNL” in March 2018, Sterling K. Brown had recently broken through to the A-list tier. However, the “This Is Us” and “Black Panther” cast member was still primarily seen as a dramatic actor. His comedic skills hadn’t been tested on a scale quite like this. We walked away from Brown’s episode with three unexpected revelations. First, “How You Remind Me” by Nickleback slays - and we say that without a shred of irony. Second, we also have a serious problem with people who don’t like “Shrek.” Third and above all else, Brown is a comedic treasure, able to deliver even the most absurd lines with such conviction. We’re used to Brown making us cry, just not with tears of laughter.

Six years before attaining the Republican presidential nomination, Arizona Senator John McCain joined the small group of politicians who have hosted “SNL.” He was also the first sitting senator to host. McCain played himself in multiple sketches, holding back his smiles as Darrell Hammond bombarded him with questions about a 2004 run. Funny to think Hammond would regularly impersonate McCain down the line. McCain wasn’t afraid to get silly, especially in a Lifetime parody where he played Amy Poehler’s creepy, close-talking husband. Again, funny that McCain and Poehler’s paths would cross again in “Parks and Recreation.” You got the sense McCain was glad to be there and - unlike some other Republican candidates - the cast was happy to have him.

Harry Styles has already served as an “SNL” musical guest - both as a One Direction member and as a solo act. In 2019, Styles carried double duties, hosting for the first time. It was uncharted territory in more ways than one, as Styles had only recently entered the acting game with “Dunkirk.” He had done drama, but was comedy in Styles’ DNA? Styles immediately establishes that comedy comes to him almost as naturally as music, combining the two in his monologue. While Styles beams with his signature showmanship, he doesn’t hesitate to unleash his goofy side, most notably during an unhinged duet with Aidy Bryant. Be it music, drama, or comedy, Styles proves that he could take his career in any number of directions.

Patrick Swayze had established himself as a tough guy with dirty dancing skills. When he hosted “SNL” in October 1990, he had only dabbled in comedy. Few could’ve imagined he’d play an essential role in one of the most iconic sketches ever. Chris Farley is the scene-stealer in “Chippendales Audition,” but the sketch wouldn’t work without Swayze, who doesn’t get enough credit for keeping it together. We legitimately believe him as an eager young dancer in awe of Farley’s “sexy” moves. Swayze wasn’t exclusively the straight guy either, playing a stereotypical hillbilly with a short fuse and sending up his role in “Ghost.” The late actor only hosted once, but his presence on the show left a lasting impression.

This English singer had two musical guest stints under her belt when she made the leap to host in October 2020. While she didn’t take on double duties, Adele still naturally got to sing during “The Bachelor” sketch. Adele brought sharp comedic timing to her fiery diva persona. She was also well-suited to play an elegant ghost haunting Chad. Although Adele kept her cool for much of the episode, her most memorable sketch was the one that destroyed her. After a relatively smooth beginning, Adele was hit with a wave of giggles during the “African Tourism” sketch. No host sets out to slip up on “SNL,” but sometimes the best hosts are the ones with breaking points. Adele meets that criteria.

Unlike some comedians, Nate Bargatze hasn’t strayed far from his roots by starring in a ton of movies and sitcoms. For the most part, he’s stuck to playing himself. “SNL” wasn’t a huge deviation, basing his monologue around his standup act. It was uncertain if Bargatze’s deadpan humor would translate well to traditional, character-based sketch comedy, however. Bargatze didn’t just exceed expectations. He headlined one of the modern era’s most memorable sketches. “Washington’s Dream” is funny on paper, but Bargatze’s understated, matter-of-fact delivery made the sketch an instant classic. It even got a follow-up when Bargatze hosted again the next year. Bargatze can make the phonebook sound funny, and “SNL” has provided a wider platform for that unique talent.

A talent taken far too soon, it’s nonetheless remarkable how much Chadwick Boseman accomplished during a short lifetime, especially while he was privately facing cancer. You’d never guess Boseman was dealing with something so serious when he hosted “SNL” in April 2018. Fresh off the success of “Black Panther,” Boseman was officially a blockbuster superstar. T'Challa might not be the quippiest superhero, but Boseman proved he can bring the laughs with sketches like “Black Jeopardy.” In addition to poking fun at his MCU persona, Boseman branched out as a straight-faced doctor and… R. Kelly? Boseman was really game for anything. Even if Boseman is best remembered for his dramatic performances, his appearance on “SNL” showed that his range knew no limits.

“Game of Thrones,” “The Mandalorian,” and “The Last of Us” confirmed Pedro Pascal was the real deal. Yet, it was his appearance on “SNL” that left us saying, “This guy can do no wrong.” Although we knew Pascal could be funny and charming off-screen, he had only starred in a few comedies at this point. The episode had fun with Pascal’s newfound reputation as the internet’s daddy. Pascal also brought his Joel persona to the Mushroom Kingdom as a gritty Mario. While these sketches seemed to be in his wheelhouse, Pascal demonstrated the full extent of his wackiness as an overprotective mother, an Italian waiter, and a hospital patient with an accent hard to distinguish. Scoring him an Emmy nomination, we officially entered the Pascalaissance.

From “Close Encounter” to “Beavis and Butt-Head,” each of Ryan Gosling’s “SNL” appearances has produced at least one viral sensation. Given his work in comedies like “Barbie” and “The Nice Guys,” it should come as no surprise that “SNL” was right up Gosling’s alley. When he first hosted in 2015, though, Gosling’s filmography was mainly comprised of dramas, often tackling dark subject matter. Gosling would bring that intensity to sketches like “Santa Baby” and “Papyrus.” Yet, there’s a whole other side to Gosling. Nowhere was that better exemplified than when Kate McKinnon’s Colleen Rafferty left Gosling desperately trying to hide the smirk on his face. Gosling is one host we look forward to seeing break every time, making him an unexpected fan favorite.

Before he was known to many people as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, this Super Bowl winner established himself as a star tight end. His electric personality made him a fun addition to the show. From an engaging monologue to hilarious pre-tape sketches, the Kansas City footballer defies the negative stereotype about athletes appearing on “SNL.” The Super Bowl champ sends up his jock persona, willing to make fun of himself in skits like “Straight Male Friend.” He also finds time to reference his day job in the NFL. Kelce does it all like he’s been making comedy for years, clearly enjoying himself throughout the experience.

When she’s not conquering the rap charts, Megan Thee Stallion is more than ready to step into the “SNL” arena. The artist also shows off her comedic timing in scenes such as “Classroom.” More than anything, the musician brings a contagious energy to every single moment no matter how many lines she has. There’s also a skit called “Hot Girl Hospital” that’s tailor-made for her performance skills and signature swagger. Able to take her stage persona into sketches, she could easily translate this newfound talent into a second career. Her confidence and happiness takes each scene to another level.

Known for his Oscar-winning performance in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Rami Malek has a distinct talent that’s granted him massive acclaim. His time on “SNL” avoids the obvious references to Freddie Mercury and instead throws him in the deep end of crazy skits. This includes the subtle work as the artist Todd, with some incredible moves to compliment the wonderfully-bizarre sketch. He also shines opposite scene partners such as Aidy Bryant and special guest Daniel Craig. The performer even finds time to do a purposefully-bad impression of Pete Davidson. Even if he looks a little out of his comfort zone, Malek completely delivers in a new medium.

Gaining international fame from “The Crown,” this actress is an expert in period drama. Her ability to channel historical characters makes certain sketches feel even more authentic. In maybe her best performance, Foy turns into an early 20th-century woman writing letters to her soldier husband. Her work in a Netflix parody proves that she can also make fun of her claim-to-fame. Some might think that this is her only strong suit, but the performer can also switch accents. Her American character alongside Kate McKinnon also provides another highlight for the episode. For anybody that believes in her as only Queen Elizabeth II, they will likely be pleasantly surprised by her appearance.

Seth MacFarlane has had tremendous success with his animated shows like “Family Guy” and “American Dad!” While most of his work is done behind the scenes, some don’t realize that he’s equally skilled in front of a camera. His vocal abilities came in handy for characters such as a spoon maker and a puppet class instructor. Trying his hand at impressions, MacFarlane even excels as Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. His years as a comedy writer, director, and voice actor more than prepared him for the diverse sketch work of “SNL.” By the end of his episode, you’d be forgiven if you thought he already had his own variety show.

As a Grammy-winning artist, Billie Eilish is among the more unique musicians of her generation. She was also an unlikely all-star on “Saturday Night Live.” The writers prepared some award-worthy sketches for the performer, putting her in a hilarious hotel commercial. Eilish also uses her voice in a variety of funny ideas. From holiday-themed skits to her work as an obscure performance artist, the singer stretches her vocal chords in multiple styles. It’s honestly impressive to see her performing at such a high-level throughout the show beyond the musical work. Taking a chance, Eilish creates an unexpected audition tape for future comedic roles.

With his star making role in “Mad Men,” Jon Hamm was first widely known as Don Draper. His hosting work on “SNL” gave people a glimpse into his extensive comedy chops. He plays opposite Michael Bublé just as well as he does any other cast member. Playing it straight or leaning into wacky parts, there’s nothing the actor can’t do. There’s also a holiday-themed sketch that allows for the performer to do an underrated James Mason impression. Even his wordless performance as a saxophone player can pull in major laughs. Hamm doesn’t miss a beat in any scene, always willing to take a chance and frequently succeeding.

From “Star Wars” to “Black Swan,” this Oscar winner is mainly known for blockbusters and dramas. Her first hosting gig at “SNL” may have seemed like a stretch on paper, but viewers were quickly won over by her show stopping performance. The dramatic actress tears down her serious reputation with a memorable digital short. On her second visit to the show, she even did it again with the same hilarious attitude. Outside of her hip-hop skills, Portman can pull off characters as unexpected as Eleven from “Stranger Things.” Whether she’s making fun of the entertainment business or her own life, the actress earned enough good will to host the show twice.

Always an exciting musical act, Bruno Mars is also a more-than-entertaining host. Joking about his nervousness in the monologue, Mars later establishes that he’s born ready for any challenge. His natural charisma translates to an eclectic bunch of sketches that includes one about a scary ride. Playing a spooky animatronic, the vocalist can make his robotic movements as effective as his dance moves. He also has fun dressing up to play a loud guest on a talk program. Mars shows off his commanding stage presence in every skit, revealing that he can’t help but steal the scene with every new character. The “Uptown Funk” artist does it all while pulling double duty as a host and musical guest.

You might know Christoph Waltz best for his roles in Quentin Tarantino films, but his “SNL” appearance reminds people of his diverse talents. The esteemed actor has both goofy energy and a dry sense of humor that he utilizes in an equally-successful way. He can even play the straight man against crazy characters from the likes of Fred Armisen. The performer also shows that he’s comfortable in controversial skits. Perhaps his best part in the episode comes from a parody of “Django Unchained.” Playing a very different take on Jesus, Waltz isn’t afraid to go for broke in a wild premise.

We all know that Christopher Walken doesn’t take himself very seriously, but that wasn’t the case in 1990. Back then, Walken was known for his dramatic roles and movies, primarily “A View to a Kill,” “The Dead Zone,” and especially “The Deer Hunter,” for which he won an Academy Award. However, he blew “SNL” fans away on January 20, 1990 and later became one of the show’s most iconic hosts. He became known for his Continental sketches, where he portrayed a very creepy and perverted man, and the famous Behind the Music sketch where he repeatedly asked for MORE COWBELL! He is now an “SNL” veteran, having hosted the show seven times.

Before his first stint as an “SNL” host on September 25, 1993, no one really knew how Charles Barkley would handle being in front of the camera. Remember, this was three years before everyone beheld the beauty that is “Space Jam”. While he was a master of the basketball court, that didn’t mean he’d be comfortable on the stage. Luckily, his first appearance was fantastic, and he hosted the show three more times. Sure, you can tell that he’s hella nervous in front of the camera, and his delivery can sometimes be a little awkward, but for a non-actor, he does just fine.

Chance the Rapper received mainstream recognition with his 2013 mixtape “Acid Rap”, and three years later took home the Grammy for Best Rap with his follow-up “Coloring Book”. This also led to an “SNL” hosting gig on November 18, 2017 - easily one of the best episodes of the entire year. Chance seems to have an inherent skill for comedy, as his delivery and timing were immaculate, particularly during that hilarious sketch where he played an NBA reporter who didn’t know a thing about hockey. His ridiculous Steve Harvey impersonation was also on point. What can we say, the man is talented.

No, we don’t mean the action movie star Dwayne Johnson. We mean The Rock. That’s how far back his hosting duties go. While The Rock was always a tongue-in-cheek personality, non-wrestling fans were certainly apprehensive about having a wrestler doing legitimate comedy. Luckily, he proved to be a ton of fun and has since become a member of the Five-Timers Club. He’s always game, whether he’s taking meth for his erectile dysfunction, or playing a gun-toting Bambi, and he always makes a joke funny no matter how lame or dark it may be. Such is the power of a great comedic actor.

Taylor Swift is an undeniably talented musician and songwriter, but her acting leaves a lot to be desired. Have you ever seen “Valentine’s Day?” Gah. That said, she was a surprisingly great host for the night of November 7, 2009. Her little goofy monologue song was a thing of beauty, and she managed to be hilariously self-deprecating and snarky. She also showed off some killer impressions of Kate Gosselin, Shakira, and Bella Swan. This was back when making fun of “Twilight” was still funny. She hasn’t hosted since then, but we certainly wouldn’t mind if her first go was any indication.

We’re sure Kristen Stewart is a lovely person, but it’s no secret that audiences were dreading her hosting gig. Even though she can be a good actor, she is primarily known for portraying the endlessly boring and dull Bella Swan, and she is quite a jittery and quiet person, which doesn’t exactly lend itself to live comedy. That said, she was a surprisingly great host. Sure, she was still her fidgety self, but her Totino’s sketch was sexy as hell, and the Family Feud sketch was hilarious. And who can forget the majesty that was her accidental and adorable f-bomb? Her episode was pure entertainment, and really, what more can we ask for?

Ariana Grande had appeared as a musical guest before hosting on March 12, 2016. Defying expectations regarding the young diva pop star’s comedic hostiling skills, she silenced critics with a truly memorable performance. She started well by singing about her future scandals before delivering some incredible vocal impressions of various artists like Rihanna, Shakira, and Britney Spears. Her spot-on impersonation of the “annoyingly relatable” Jennifer Lawrence was also a huge hit, and one of the standout moments of the night. With this episode, we realized that Ariana Grande is just as funny as she is talented.

There’s no denying it. Professional athletes can be awful hosts. Luckily, Peyton Manning was one of the good ones. On March 24, 2007, audiences could have been forgiven for expecting another painful show starring a stiff and too-serious athlete, but Manning was game for some truly outrageous skits, and surprised everyone with his charisma and comedic timing. His United Way skit is still fondly remembered and he proved at least a double threat with his dancing abilities. Peyton Manning may be the funniest athlete to have ever graced “Saturday Night Live.”

When fans first heard that NSYNC’s Justin Timberlake would be hosting the show on October 11, 2003, many let out a collective groan. They expected a spoiled, sanitized, and awkward musical megastar who thought he was above the cast - we’re looking at you Bieber. So, imagine our surprise when J.T. became one of the best “SNL” hosts ever. He’s now hosted the show five times and made countless cameos, with Dick in a Box becoming one of the most popular skits in the show’s history. He’s effortlessly funny, game for anything, and shares a palpable chemistry with the cast.

Oscar-nominee Adam Driver doesn’t seem like an obvious choice for the sketch program. His dramatic chops might be better suited for award-winning epics, but his appearances on “Saturday Night Live” turned out to be an instant classic. The actor makes the case that the same dedication needed for serious roles can also create amazing comedy moments. He elevates an “Undercover Boss” parody into a hilarious idea courtesy of his Kylo Ren performance. Other than referencing his own work, Driver also excels with an original premise about an oil baron at his son’s career day presentation. Willing to provide intensity and silliness in equal measure, the performer creates some truly iconic scenes with expert timing.


Which “SNL” host surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments.








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