‘We are taking that threat very seriously’: SNL cold open roasts the Academy Awards with Mike Tyson hired as new head of security to stop second Will Smith attack and George Santos as Tom Cruise
- SNL spoofed the Oscars trying to prevent a repeat of the Will Smith slap
- Kenan Thompson played Mike Tyson as the ceremony’s head of security
- Bowen Yang appeared as George Santos trying to pass as Tom Cruise
Saturday Night Live roasted a supposed ‘new look’ Academy Awards in their cold open this week, with new ‘head of security’ Mike Tyson and George Santos pretending to be Tom Cruise.
The show, hosted by ‘Wednesday’ star Jenna Ortega and featuring musical guest The 1975, featured an opening sketch set live at the red carpet of the Oscars with cast members previewing new features for this year’s ceremony.
A ‘notoriously calm and sane’ Mike Tyson – played by Kenan Thompson – had been hired as head of security in the sketch to prevent another Will Smith slap incident.
Thompson’s version of Iron Mike said to enhance security, ‘all the nominees have been given tasers, all the seat fillers have been given guns and Jimmy Kimmel has been given a flamethrower.’
When it came to Will Smith, he had an Apple AirTag slipped into his pocket so they would know where he was at all times, ‘unless he changes pants, so stay frosty, everybody!’
Saturday Night Live roasted a supposed ‘new look’ Academy Awards in their cold open this week, with new ‘head of security’ Mike Tyson and George Santos pretending to be Tom Cruise.
Late on in the sketch, cast member Bowen Yang came on the red carpet playing George Santos pretending to be Tom Cruise.
When pressured by the hosts into admitting he was Santos scheming as Cruise, Yang’s Santos said: ‘No, no, I’m definitely Thomas Q. Cruise star of this year’s blockbuster film Top Gun 2: Top Bottom.’
When told by the presenters that ‘you’re not fooling anyone’ he responded as Santos.
‘Yeah, except I did and now I’m in Congress. If you’ll excuse me, I have to go be everyone everywhere all at once,’ in a reference to the Best Picture favorite.
The show also pitched changes aimed at ‘degenerate gamblers,’ whom they termed the least likely people to watch the show and turned it over to a pair of oddsmakers.
They claimed that there were 3-to-1 odds of a younger actor bringing out an older actor in a wheelchair and ‘regretting immediately,’ 2-to-1 odds an actress making $20million a year will say ‘we are all Ukraine’ and even 10-to-1 that someone in the ‘In Memoriam’ segment would still be alive.
They also repeated the odds for various disgraced Hollywood stars showing up, including Armie Hammer, Kanye West and Harvey Weinstein.
The show, hosted by ‘Wednesday’ star Jenna Ortega and featuring musical guest The 1975, featured an opening sketch set live at the red carpet of the Oscars with cast members previewing new features for this year’s ceremony
Late on in the sketch, cast member Bowen Yang (pictured right) came on the red carpet playing George Santos pretending to be Tom Cruise
When pressured by the hosts into admitting he was Santos scheming as Cruise, Yang’s Santos said: ‘No, no, I’m definitely Thomas Q. Cruise star of this year’s blockbuster film Top Gun 2: Top Bottom’
The show also pitched changes aimed at ‘degenerate gamblers,’ whom they termed the least likely people to watch the show and turned it over to a pair of oddsmakers
Impressionist Chloe Fineman (pictured right) also appeared as Best Supporting Actress nominee Jamie Lee Curtis
SNL briefly parodied former hosts and Banshees of Inisherin nominees Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleason, showing Mikey Day (pictured left) and Molly Kearney (pictured right) as the actors speaking in complete gibberish
Another aside showed Sarah Sherman as – in the show’s words – Michelle Williams’ Jewish acting coach for The Fabelmans
Impressionist Chloe Fineman also appeared as Best Supporting Actress nominee Jamie Lee Curtis, expressing excitement over the show but saying she had to leave because it was past her bedtime.
SNL briefly parodied former hosts and Banshees of Inisherin nominees Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleason, showing Mikey Day and Molly Kearney as the actors speaking in complete gibberish.
Another aside showed Sarah Sherman as – in the show’s words – Michelle Williams’ Jewish acting coach for The Fabelmans.
The show will return on April 1 with host Quinta Brunson and musical guest Lil Yachty.
