logo
Which celebrities will appear on the 'SNL' 50th anniversary special? Here's what to expect

Which celebrities will appear on the 'SNL' 50th anniversary special? Here's what to expect

USA Today10-02-2025

Hear this story
The much-anticipated 50th anniversary special of "Saturday Night Live" is set to air this weekend.
"SNL 50: The Anniversary Special," a live, three-hour comedy show, will air on Sunday, Feb. 16, one day after the show's first 1975 episode is scheduled to re-air on NBC. The special will air live from Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and can be viewed on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
NBC has announced several guest appearances for the special, including former hosts, cast members, writers and musical guests, in addition to comedy A-listers.
'SNL' 50th anniversary guest stars
Here's a list of Hollywood stars set to appear on "SNL 50: The Anniversary Special," as announced by NBC. Some surprise guests are also likely to appear.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Adam Driver
Ayo Edebiri
Bad Bunny
Dave Chappelle
John Mulaney
Kim Kardashian
Martin Short
Miley Cyrus
Paul McCartney
Paul Simon
Pedro Pascal
Peyton Manning
Quinta Brunson
Robert de Niro
Sabrina Carpenter
Scarlett Johansson
Steve Martin
Tom Hanks
Woody Harrelson
On Feb. 10, NBC confirmed which former cast members will appear on the special:
Adam Sandler
Amy Poehler
Andy Samberg
Chevy Chase
Chris Rock
Eddie Murphy
Fred Armisen
Garrett Morris
Jane Curtin
Jason Sudeikis
Jimmy Fallon
Kate McKinnon
Kenan Thompson
Kristen Wiig
Laraine Newman
Maya Rudolph
Molly Shannon
Pete Davidson
Seth Meyers
Tina Fey
Tracy Morgan
Will Ferrell
Will Forte
How to watch 'SNL' 50th anniversary special
The show will air on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and can be watched on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
Who is in the Season 50 'SNL' cast?
Season 50 returning cast members include:
Michael Che
Mikey Day
Andrew Dismukes
Chloe Fineman
Heidi Gardner
Marcello Hernández
James Austin Johnson
Colin Jost
Michael Longfellow
Ego Nwodim
Ashley Padilla
Sarah Sherman
Kenan Thompson
Devon Walker
Emil Wakim
Jane Wickline
Bowen Yang
New cast members this season are:
Ashley Padilla
Emil Wakim
Jane Wicklin
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bruce Willis' wife shares she's 'profoundly sad' on Father's Day: 'I want it all back'
Bruce Willis' wife shares she's 'profoundly sad' on Father's Day: 'I want it all back'

USA Today

timean hour ago

  • USA Today

Bruce Willis' wife shares she's 'profoundly sad' on Father's Day: 'I want it all back'

Bruce Willis' wife shares she's 'profoundly sad' on Father's Day: 'I want it all back' Show Caption Hide Caption Bruce Willis diagnosis: Doctor explains frontotemporal dementia Dr. Daniel Amen spoke with USA TODAY about frontotemporal dementia and what a diagnosis of the incurable disease might look like. Damien Henderson and Cody Godwin, USA TODAY Bruce Willis' wife is getting vulnerable about Father's Day. In an Instagram post on Sunday, June 15, Emma Heming Willis wished a happy Father's Day "to all the dads living with disability or disease, showing up in the ways they can and to the children who show up for them." She added that her husband Bruce Willis, who retired from acting after being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, teaches their children "resilience, unconditional love, and the quiet strength in simply being present." But Willis also shared that she was feeling "profoundly sad today," reflecting, "I wish, with every cell in my body, that things could be different for him and lighter for our family." She said the phrase "it is what it is" helps her "return to the acceptance of what is and not fight this every step of the way like I used to." More Father's Day pics: Prince William's kids share cute 'before and after' photos In her Instagram Stories, she also shared several throwback photos of the "Die Hard" star with his kids. She wrote over a photo of Willis with his daughters, "I miss and mourn what was" and "I want it all back." Bruce Willis' wife marks anniversary: Emma Heming Willis celebrates their 16th with a sweet photo Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis share two daughters: Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11. The actor also has three adult daughters with his ex-wife Demi Moore: Rumer, 36; Scout, 33; and Tallulah, 31. In a comment on Emma Heming Willis' June 15 Instagram post, Tallulah Willis wrote, "Love you so much. Love him. Love our family." Here's how other stars are marking Father's Day 2025. Billy Joel's family says he'll be 'rocking out next year' after brain disorder diagnosis In an Instagram post, Billy Joel's family said that this Father's Day is "extra special" for them, weeks after the singer announced he has been diagnosed with a brain disorder. "We are always grateful and thankful but this year really reminded us how lucky we are to have you," read a post on Joel's Instagram page, which included photos of him with his family. "We are so blessed to have such a strong, determined man in our lives. You are a wonderful support for us and we only hope we can be the same for you. We love you and know you will be rocking out next year." Joel has three daughters: 39-year-old Alexa Ray Joel, whom he shares with his ex-wife Christie Brinkley, and Della, 9, and Remy, 7, with wife Alexis Roderick Joel. Justin Timberlake feels 'beyond blessed,' shares photos with sons Justin Timberlake celebrated Father's Day by sharing photos on Instagram with his two sons: Silas, 10, and Phineas, 4. The singer shares both of his children with wife Jessica Biel. "There's no bigger reward or responsibility that I have ever felt in my life above being a father," he wrote. "To teach and to learn at the same time … I feel beyond blessed." Biel paid tribute to Timberlake in an Instagram Story, wishing a happy Father's Day to "the best dad out there." David Beckham thanks Victoria Beckham for 'making me a dad' David Beckham wrote in his Father's Day post that his "most important & favourite job in life is being a dad," writing to his kids that he "will always be here for you no matter what." Beckham has four children with wife Victoria Beckham: Brooklyn, 26; Romeo, 22; Cruz, 20; and Harper, 13. In his post, he also thanked Victoria Beckham for "doing the most important part and making me a father," writing that "there is no greater gift in life than making me a dad." For her part, Victoria Beckham wrote in a Father's Day tribute to her husband, "You always lead with love and our four beautiful children are a reflection of that. We all love you so so much." Mother's Day 2025: Amber Heard welcomes twins, Duchess Meghan's kids climb 'mama mountain' Lily Collins celebrates first Father's Day since daughter's birth "Emily in Paris" star Lily Collins and her husband Charlie McDowell are celebrating their first Father's Day since they welcomed a child via surrogacy in January. In a message addressed to McDowell, Collins said that "you certainly were born to be a dad and you continue to amaze me every single day with the countless ways you protect and nurture her, make her laugh, and shower her with adoration." The actress also said that their daughter Tove is the "luckiest little girl in the world to be yours." In his own post, McDowell wrote that it's a "gift and an honor becoming a dad" and thanked Collins for "this wild ride and beautiful journey."

Familiar 'Friends' star first auditioned to play Monica but thinks she lost the role for being 'bigger size than the rest'
Familiar 'Friends' star first auditioned to play Monica but thinks she lost the role for being 'bigger size than the rest'

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Familiar 'Friends' star first auditioned to play Monica but thinks she lost the role for being 'bigger size than the rest'

Could you imagine heading up to apartment 20 at 485 Grove St., or maybe popping by at Central Perk, and seeing someone other than Courteney Cox in the role of Monica Geller? Hello, are you there? Quick, huff on these smelling salts. We're sorry to have sent you into a catatonic state. But the truth is that the cast of Friends did not just happen. It came about through a lengthy process that included some trial and error. And as actress Jessica Hecht, who later played Susan on the NBC sitcom, recently revealed to the good people at Parade, she was nearly cast in the primary role. Though Hecht added that she now thinks she was "a total backup," she then explained that she and the casting director, Ellie Kanner, were chums since high school, having grown up in a small town in Connecticut. When Hecht's agent heard they were still reading people for the parts, she suggested that Hecht head over. "I went in, mostly excited to see Ellie Kanner, and then they started to read me for Monica," she recalled. Obviously, she didn't land the part, and as Hecht told it, "I think looking at me back then, I'm tall and I just had a bigger size than the rest. Now I look at it, and I think how perfect Courteney was, I would have been more of a Lisa [Kudrow], just physically and energetically." As is frequently the case, performers who do well in auditions often make their way into a series in supporting roles. Hecht made 13 appearances as Susan Bunch, the new partner of Ross' (David Schwimmer) ex-wife Carol. But Hecht had some criticism for the way the character developed. "They just wanted a lesbian that didn't look exactly like lesbians had previously, let's be honest," she said. "Use your imagination!' she joked. "They're wonderful. They come in all sizes.' In another recent interview, Hecht admitted some relief that her character never grew into one of the lead roles. "The responsibility of that is more than most people could manage," she said. "That show affecting so many people's lives," she added, "and the actors on that show affecting so many people's lives ... I watch it with awe, and I understand the need for that." Post-Friends, Hecht has worked in films directed by Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen, and David Gordon Green, and had key roles on shows like Breaking Bad and Red Oaks. She's also been nominated for three Tony Awards, including one just this year for her turn in the vaccination drama Eureka Day. For 30 years, she has been married to Adam Bernstein, a director of film, television, and several legendary music videos like the iconic "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot, one of the 20th century's most lasting works of art. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly

How HBO's 'The Mortician' explores the horrors of the 'business of death'
How HBO's 'The Mortician' explores the horrors of the 'business of death'

USA Today

time6 hours ago

  • USA Today

How HBO's 'The Mortician' explores the horrors of the 'business of death'

Watching HBO's "The Mortician" docuseries transported me to my own 2002 funeral story, and memories of the aggressively solemn funeral-home director upselling my distraught mother with increasingly extravagant urns for my father's ashes. To our growing horror, the pinky ring-wearing salesman pushed an absurd marble number with an attached frame featuring a man in a full kilt, Balmoral bonnet and competition bagpipes. My puffy-eyed brother broke the sales spiel with, "But my dad didn't play the bagpipes." The atrocities documented in director Joshua Rofé's three-part series (which concludes Sunday, June 15, 9 ET/PT) about a funeral business gone wildly wrong are far graver than an overpriced urn. The dark, illegal mortuary practices depicted in the series exploded in the 1980s, and brought the once-respected Lamb Funeral Home in affluent Pasadena, California, into scandal, sparking ghoulish legal drama and and coverage on ABC's "Nightline." However, Rofé was inspired to delve into the story because of the trusting customers and neighbors who were preyed upon by the family-owned funeral home at their most vulnerable moments, when dealing with the loss of a loved one. "There was this crazy scandal," Rofé tells USA TODAY. "But I was intrigued by the idea of this family drama being a murder-mystery noir that explores the business of death and everything around that, the grief and loss." Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. The series centers on David Sconce, the high school football star and fourth-generation Lamb operator. His great-grandfather, Lawrence Lamb, founded the funeral home in 1929, run by Sconce's mother, Laurieanne, and her husband, Jerry. David took over the cremation side of the business in the 1980s and implemented drastic, illegal changes to increase profits. David carried out mass cremations, removed corpses' gold jewelry and dental fillings and illegally harvested corpses' organs for sale, prosecutors charged. In 1989, he pleaded guilty to 21 felony counts, which included violence by his group of employees on rival morticians. Rofé was surprised that Sconce agreed to extensive interviews, which started immediately after he was paroled in 2023 on unrelated 2011 gun charges (Sconce is shown being picked up at the prison gates). "I've interviewed people who the average person would consider scary," says Rofé. "But he was often devoid of humanity. To find someone who just lacks empathy is really hard." While denying most of the egregious charges, Sconce still defends the group cremations, claiming that "comingling of ash" in impossible-to-clean mortuary kilns is unavoidable. 'There's ash in there from dozens of people. It's a fact; it's how things are," Sconce says emphatically in the series premiere. "To me, the commingling of ash is not a big deal. I don't put any value in somebody after they're gone and dead. As they shouldn't when I'm gone and dead. It's not a person anymore." How was Sconce caught in 'The Mortician' In the '80s, Sconce set up a mass illegal cremation center in the remote desert of Hesperia, California. The cremation site was so prolific that a nearby World War II veteran, who had participated in the liberation of the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp, recognized the unmistakable smell of burnt corpses and alerted the police. "He said, 'I smell the burning flesh. That is a smell I will never forget,'" says Rofé. "That is what brings the operation down." Was Sconce's family involved in the illegal activities? Sconce's parents, including his seemingly empathetic mother, were swept up in the charges. This was shocking, considering Laurieanne, the funeral organist, was such an outwardly comforting presence to the mourners at Lamb Funeral Home. She was convicted in 1995 on nine charges, including conspiracy to remove body parts and unlawful authorization of the removal of eyes, hearts, lungs and brains from corpses. Each parent and David served more than three years in prison because of the scandal. "Many eyewitnesses testified that Jerry and Laurieanne were deeply involved," says Rofé. "This is a family drama in the sense that they were all in the trenches together." Have there been changes to prevent the crimes seen in 'The Mortician'? "The Mortician" features funeral professionals who decry the abhorrent practices depicted and point out changes made following the crimes at the Lamb Funeral Home — which had its license revoked by a state board on March 30, 1989, providing the nail in the coffin of the family business. My dear dad's ashes (presumably it's mostly his ashes) have a happy, bagpipe-free home in a simple urn placed in the living room. "The majority of the people in the mortuary business are exactly the type of people you want to encounter in your moment of grief," says Rofé. "But in any business, you run into somebody who cares about nothing but the bottom line. In this series, we examine what happens when that's the business of death."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store