Legendary SNL performer Eddie Murphy will return to host the show in season 45, his first hosting appearance in 35 years. In the early 1980s, SNL was in dire straits after the departures of original cast members Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi and company, as well as the (temporary) exit of show creator Lorne Michaels. As SNL lore has it, the embattled sketch comedy series might have completely gone under and been canceled had it not been for the arrival of Murphy, who is widely credited with single-handedly keeping the SNL ship afloat during his five year tenure.
During that five year stint on SNL, Murphy would create multiple unforgettable characters, including the Mr. Rogers send-up Mr. Robinson, feminist pimp Velvet Jones and a grown-up version of Buckwheat who would ultimately be killed off in a sketch parodying the shooting of then-president Ronald Reagan. During that same five year period, Murphy would rise to prominence as a movie star thanks to his roles in 48 Hrs. and Trading Places, finally saying goodbye to SNL with a hosting gig in 1984. As it turned out, Murphy's turn hosting in 1984 would be his last appearance on anything SNL related until a disappointingly brief cameo in 2015's Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special.
Now, 35 years after Murphy last appeared on the show proper, SNL has revealed that the legendary performer will return for hosting duties in season 45. Murphy is officially listed as host for the December 21st episode in the newly posted rundown of performers for the upcoming season. See the show's tweeted listing in the space below:
Season 45 will indeed kick off on September 28th with Woody Harrelson returning for his fourth time as host, with pop star Billie Eilish as musical guest. On October 5th, Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge will make her SNL debut with Taylor Swift on board in her third appearance as musical guest (in 2009 she made her only appearance as host). Stranger Things star David Harbour will take on hosting duties on October 12th, his first time ever on the show, with Camila Cabello as musical guest. On November 2nd, Kristen Stewart will make her return to host, her first appearance since 2017 when she famously roasted Donald Trump for his weird tweets about her and Robert Pattinson.
That is undoubtedly a very strong guest lineup all around, but the stand out of course is Murphy, who will make many older SNL fans deliriously happy by returning to host (and perhaps even bring back some of his famous characters). Murphy's SNL return is of course not the only big news about the comedian, as he's also returning for a long-awaited sequel to Coming to America, and will star next month in the Rudy Ray Moore biopic Dolemite is My Name. After many years being accused of having turned his back on edgy comedy for the sake of family-friendly roles, Murphy seems to be at the beginning of a Funny Eddie renaissance, and it will be fascinating to see what else he has in store for fans.
Source: SNL