In a few weeks, the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, better known as SNL, will turn 50. The legendary series has been a part of popular culture since it started in 1975. The show itself has seen too many memorable sketches to count. That includes those they deemed to have fun with the Star Wars franchise and featuring alumni who appeared in the franchise.
Let's look at some of the best Star Wars moments in Saturday Night Live
In 1978, a year after A New Hope was released, a sketch became a part of Star Wars lore. Comedian Bill Murray portrayed a lounge singer and sang a new tune using John Williams's main theme. "Star Wars, nothing but Star Wars" has become a popular song in both franchises and displays Murray's comedic talent. It also displayed how far Star Wars had come in relation to popular culture.
In 1999, a memorable sketch occurred with Lindsey Lohan and SNL cast members as they portrayed fans of Star Wars who dressed up for the wrong movie.
As The Force Awakens approached release in 2015, the sketch show took full advantage of the upcoming movie event. Several skits featuring Star Wars alumni, such as Daisy Ridley, were released before the film. Perhaps the most memorable skit combining both Star Wars and SNL occurred in the early part of 2016, as The Force Awakens was dominating the box office.
Undercover Boss with Kylo Ren became an instant Star Wars and SNL classic
By far the most recent SNL hit was thanks to a sequel trilogy actor donning a new title: Matt, the Radar Technician. Adam Driver starred as Kylo Ren in a spoof of Undercover Boss. In the sketch, the villain attempts to find what people in the First Order think of him and how they operate. It comically goes horribly wrong and is still remembered as a top sketch in the show's history.
Bobby Moynihan, who co-wrote it, also stars in the Undercover Boss sketch. While not the first SNL actor to cross over from the comedy show, Moynihan has become one of the more prominent voice actors in the realm of Star Wars animation. He's the voice of Orka in Star Wars Resistance, Geezer in Star Wars: Visions "Tatooine Rhapsody," and Jedi Bob in LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy. Speaking of Resistance, while it's never been confirmed, a popular theory among fans is that Matt the Radar Technician's outfit inspired Kazuda Xiono and Neeku's own undercover look in the Season 2 episode "Station to Station."
Another sketch occurred in 2018, before the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Donald Glover, who was tasked as Lando in the prequel film, hosted Saturday Night Live before the film was released. Lando, portrayed by Glover, hosted a summit for black people in space, poking fun at the lack of Star Wars actors at the time who were African American. It gave audiences a preview of Glover's memorable performance as the smuggler.
In addition to both Driver and Glover, many other Star Wars alumni have hosted the show. Some of those include memorable performances with Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, Felicity Jones, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
On February 16th, Saturday Night Live will celebrate its 50th anniversary, fans of the Star Wars franchise can hope that the franchise will be a part of the anniversary in some way.