Tag Archives: Bowen Yang

Entertainment

SNL Season 50 Premiere Opens With Maya Rudolph’s Harris, Jim Gaffigan’s Walz

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It’s no shock that Saturday Night time Dwell‘s milestone fiftieth season kicked off with a deal with one of the highly-anticipated occasions… the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

The brand new batch of political candidates was revealed throughout Saturday evening’s chilly open, with Maya Rudolph starring as Kamala Harris, Jim Gaffigan as Tim Walz, Dana Carvey as Joe Biden and Andy Samberg as Douglas Emhoff. SNL forged members James Austin Johnson and Bowen Yang performed Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, respectively.

The digicam first minimize to Rudolph’s Harris after Andrew Dismukes’s David Muir with ABC Information stated they have been going to be checking in with every candidate out on the marketing campaign path at their respective rallies.

“Effectively, your enjoyable aunt has returned,” Rudolph’s Harris initially says. “I’m so blissful to be campaigning in no matter swing state I’m in, which I’ll simply confer with as Wisconsin-Pennsylv-Georgia as a result of I’m going to guard your Va-Georgia.”

“You see, my marketing campaign is just like the Sabrina Carpenter music ‘Espresso,’” Rudolph’s Harris continues throughout her speech. “The lyrics are imprecise however the vibe slaps.”

“Now this election is about shifting ahead,” she provides earlier than introducing her overly excited working mate. “You see, Donald Trump is caught previously, but it surely’s like I say to my husband Doug when he leaves his telephone on the Chili’s, ‘We aren’t going again!’”

Gaffigan’s Walz then proceeded to come back onto the stage with an enormous smile. “I haven’t been this excited since I acquired a ten p.c rebate on a leaf blower for Menards,” he says. “Can I say, I acquired that B.D.E…. Huge Dad Power. You see what I did there?”

“I acquired it. I didn’t need it, however I acquired it,” Rudolph’s Harris quips, earlier than later saying, “Tim will not be the one white dude for Harris right here at the moment.”

She then brings out her husband, Samberg’s Emhoff, who has a powerful message for Republicans, “I’ve heard what the correct says about me simply because I’m unapologetic about being a person supporting his spouse: ‘Oh, he’s a beta, a spouse man, a trad husband, a bit spoon.’ what, if serving to Kamala — who we name Mamala in my household — grow to be president means being a bit spoon, then you possibly can kiss my little butt.”

Dismukes’s Muir then tossed to Trump’s rally, the place the previous president went off on a number of tangents, together with how a lot he misses Joe Biden.

“Oh Joe, we miss Joe Biden of us. What we wouldn’t give to have him stand subsequent to me and be outdated,” Johnson’s Trump says. “We had this within the bag, however then they did a switcheroo.”

The previous president then introduced out his working mate, who had a number of fascinating phrases to share. “Simply this afternoon, he [Trump] advised me, ‘J.D., you’re like a son to me as a result of I don’t such as you, however I’m caught with you.’”

After Dismukes’s Muir shortly minimize away from Trump’s rally, he then went again to Harris’ occasion, “the place the dancing seems to be wrapping up.” Rudolph’s Harris introduced out Carvey’s Biden as her closing visitor.

“Lots of people overlook I’m president, together with me,” Carvey’s Biden jokes.

Jean Sensible hosted the season 50 premiere of NBC’s sketch comedy present with musical visitor Jelly Roll. She poked enjoyable at SNL in the course of the monologue, saying, “I bear in mind watching the very first episode of SNL and pondering, ‘Sometime, I’m gonna host that present.’ And that is the primary Saturday that labored with my schedule.”

The actress additionally highlighted totally different facets of New York Metropolis, the place SNL is filmed. Sensible says she likes “the stink of it,” particularly within the autumn when “all the rubbish on the road is lastly altering colours, lovely, lovely.” She later took a jab at just lately indicted NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who’s going through federal prices alleging that he took unlawful marketing campaign contributions and bribes from overseas nationals.

Entertainment

Happy Days, SNL, West Wing Cast Reunions at 2024 Emmys

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The West Wing, Comfortable Days, Saturday Night time Reside, Reba and Schitt’s Creek have been among the many fashionable collection to reunite their casts on the 2024 Emmys.

With NBC’s The West Wing celebrating the twenty fifth anniversary of its collection premiere on Sept. 22, 1999, the present’s stars Martin Sheen, Dulé Hill, Janel Maloney, Richard Schiff and Allison Janney took the stage in entrance of a duplicate of its Oval Workplace set. Aaron Sorkin created this system that ran for seven seasons and centered on the administration of President Josiah Bartlet (Sheen).

“It’s arduous to imagine that simply 25 years in the past, Aaron and the writers truly had to make use of their imaginations to create attention-grabbing plotlines for The West Wing,” Janney quipped. Schiff added, “In contrast to right now, the place storylines might be plucked proper off the information — storylines that writers would have deemed a bit far-fetched, if not completely ridiculous, 25 years in the past.”

In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Comfortable Days’ premiere episode that aired on ABC on Jan. 15, 1974, the sitcom’s stars Ron Howard and Henry Winkler appeared in entrance of a duplicate of the present’s acquainted setting, Arnold’s Restaurant. On the Garry Marshall-created collection that ran for 11 seasons, Howard performed Richie Cunningham, whereas Winkler portrayed Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli.

Comfortable Days stars Ron Howard and Henry Winkler on the 2024 Emmys.

Kevin Winter/Getty Photographs

“Appears like house,” Winkler mentioned about becoming a member of Howard in entrance of the backdrop. Howard then famous that the collection’ memorable theme music was not taking part in, and he prompted Winkler to do one thing about it.

When Winkler defined that he was out of shape, Howard replied, “You went to the Yale Faculty of Drama, Henry. you are able to do it.” Winkler then hit the jukebox together with his elbow, as his character was recognized to do on the collection, and the theme music began taking part in.

Earlier within the Emmys telecast, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Seth Meyers and Bowen Yang took the stage in the course of the Saturday Night time Reside reunion, and a few of them have been wildly mistaken about collection creator Lorne Michaels‘ win-loss report from the earlier ceremonies.

Maya Rudolph, Seth Meyers, Kristen Wiig and Bowen Yang on the 2024 Emmys.

Kevin Winter/Getty Photographs

Wiig knowledgeable the gang that the group had heard a rumor backstage that Michaels had been nominated for an Emmy 85 occasions previously however had by no means received. She addressed Michaels, who was within the viewers, by saying, “You do have worth, you might be worthy, and you aren’t and have by no means been a loser — though you may have misplaced lots.”

Rudolph agreed and advised Michaels, “Each a type of 85 occasions you misplaced, you have been robbed.”

Yang added, “It will get higher. Simply because SNL didn’t work, doesn’t imply your subsequent concept received’t. Hold dreaming.”

Lastly, Meyers chimed in to appropriate his fellow SNL standouts by explaining that Michaels has, in actual fact, received 21 Emmys, with the NBC sketch collection having collected over 200 trophies.

Abruptly, the presenters have been altering their tune. “That’s an excessive amount of,” Wiig mentioned of SNL’s cumulative haul. Rudolph mentioned, “I can’t imagine you’re complaining about this, Lorne. To not be impolite, however develop up.”

Additionally reuniting onstage to current an Emmy have been Reba co-stars Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman. The pair boasted that they didn’t want a teleprompter and had every part memorized in case of any technical glitches.

“We don’t telephone it in anymore,” Peterman mentioned. “Let’s present all people that we memorized all the nominees’ names. Eyes shut.” Evidently, their reminiscence wasn’t as flawless as they could have hoped.

Additionally reuniting have been the celebs of Schitt’s Creek, as Emmys co-hosts Dan Levy and Eugene Levy have been joined on the stage towards the top of the ceremony by fellow collection co-stars Annie Murphy and Catherine O’Hara.

This story was initially revealed on Sept. 15 at 6:40 p.m.

Entertainment

Chappell Roan Says She Doesn’t Care About Charts or Radio

Chappell Roan is opening up about her meteoric rise on the music charts and pop radio.

In Interview journal, the 26-year-old pop star and drag queen speaks with Saturday Evening Dwell forged member Bowen Yang about her whirlwind summer time and making music as a queer artist.

“Previously, truthfully, eight weeks, my whole life has modified,” Roan instructed Yang. “It’s been actually emotional as a result of I’m not simply singing pop music, it’s routinely political as a result of I’m homosexual.”

Yang shared some recommendation with the singer, who instructed the comic she appreciated his steering as she doesn’t know anybody “who’s going by means of this” and the way being acknowledged has been the most important change. “I’ve by no means given a fuck in regards to the charts or being on the radio, however it’s so loopy how trade persons are taking me extra severely than earlier than,” she stated.

The “Good Luck, Babe!” singer added that she’s thinks to herself that she’s been “doing this the entire time, bitch,” saying that chart success is fleeting. “My profession doesn’t imply something extra now that I’ve a charting album and track. If something, I’m similar to, ‘Fuck you guys for not seeing what truly issues,’” she instructed Yang.

Roan additionally spoke about her largely queer fanbase, joking with Yang that “dang, homosexual folks do care,” and in regards to the fast ascent of her 2023 album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, which continues to rise on the Billboard 200 albums chart. “It exploded inside a matter of 4 weeks,” Roan defined. “Hastily I had an album charting that got here out in September [2023].”

Roan has pulled in massive crowds at festivals all through the nation, regardless of not being a headliner.

After spectacular units at Coachella and Governors Ball units, Bonnaroo moved the artist to a bigger stage. And at Lollapalooza, Roan carried out to what a spokesperson for the competition referred to as the “greatest daytime set we’ve seen.”

Roan credit her success to doing what she needs and never making selections guided by cash. “My profession has labored as a result of I’ve achieved it my approach, and I’ve not compromised morals and time,” she says. “I’ve not succumbed to the stress.”

Later within the interview, Yang instructed Roan break into performing, which the singer admits was her preliminary thought course of behind doing music. She has seemingly modified her thoughts since then, responding to Yang with: “I say this with peace, and love and blessings. Actors are fucking loopy.”

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and Roan’s latest single “Good Luck, Babe!” proceed to climb the charts, shifting into the No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200 and No. 7 spot on the Billboard Scorching 100 charts this week, respectively. As of final week, Roan’s Midwest Princess tracks “Crimson Wine Supernova,” “Pink Pony Membership, “Informal,” “Femininomenon,” “My Kink Is Karma” and “Scorching To Go!” have been all charting on the Billboard Scorching 100.

Entertainment

Bowen Yang on Emmy Nom, SNL 50th Anniversary Plans and ‘Wicked’ Filming

Bowen Yang’s Saturday Evening Dwell Emmy nomination landed on a day that began off fairly uneventfully. He had spent the morning journaling and folding laundry.

“It was a really candy second that coexisted with my boring, quotidian way of life,” Yang says of the moment he acquired the information through textual content from his workforce. However as he speaks, his life appears removed from boring — along with SNL, he co-hosts the GLAAD and iHeart­Radio Award-winning podcast Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and later this yr will seem as Pfannee within the much-anticipated first installment of the two-part function Depraved. 

The schedule appears grueling, however Yang is kind of calm. “I simply front-load the week,” he says. Mondays and Tuesdays are for Las Culturistas, then he heads to SNL’s desk learn on Wednesday. When he was capturing Depraved, he flew to London on Sundays, after SNL, after which returned for the following week’s present by the next Wednesday. Wash, rinse, repeat!

“SNL finally ends up being this dwelling base,” he says of all of the motion. “I’m not too rattled by the totally different hats I placed on as a result of every hat feels very well-worn at this level. And I most likely wouldn’t have this consolation had it not been for working at SNL.” 

This yr’s Emmys nod is Yang’s fourth total, his third for appearing. However, simply as well-worn hats are prone to be well-loved, this one feels extra particular. 

“I really feel extra grateful this yr,” Yang says. “I really feel like issues had been reset with the strikes. There was this actually truncated, unresolved feeling to [season 48] when the strikes occurred and nobody had an opportunity to say goodbye, and we didn’t replicate on the season. This yr we bought to look again on two full seasons of stuff, and it’s been a really sentimental, attention-grabbing course of.” 

SNL minimize its season 48 brief when the writers and actors strikes halted Hollywood manufacturing final summer time. Upon their return for season 49, Yang knocked it out of the park — the “Bowen’s Straight” pretape with Sydney Sweeney, the George Santos chilly open and the “Physician” sketch with Ryan Gosling had been a few of his favorites. 

As he opinions his personal work, although, the comic can’t assist however cease and have a good time that of his friends as nicely (particularly the viral “Beavis and Butt-head” with Gosling and Mikey Day). “I’m going to go as far as to say that me being acknowledged on this class is a good reflection on the entire solid,” he says. “We’re solely nearly as good as the entire ensemble.” 

SNL nabbed 4 nominations for this yr’s ceremony, additional cementing its place as essentially the most Emmy-nominated program of all time, with 341. 

“I’m consistently reminded of how particular the present is,” Yang says. “We’ve got all these alternatives to convey a comedic thought to its full artistic achievement, and we’re so fortunate. It’s form of the one reside present left the place individuals tune in because it occurs.” 

Well-known for its stronghold on Saturday nights, the Lorne Michaels-headed collection is getting ready for its fiftieth anniversary celebration subsequent yr, with many dying for the small print of what the large celebration will appear like. 

“What’s humorous is, like, even internally, nobody actually is aware of,” Yang says. “It’s nonetheless this lovely fantasy in Lorne’s head. We’re going to seek out out, together with everyone else.” 

Regardless of the celebration appears to be like like, Yang is assured there will probably be some type of “eye towards what’s subsequent,” which additionally begs the query: After half a century of SNL, the place does the world of sketch comedy go subsequent? 

“TikTok and all these new sorts of media which might be instantly gratifying and consumable are great for individuals, it has democratized quite a lot of issues,” Yang says. “Nevertheless it additionally offers SNL much more of this distinctive, triangulated id. It’s extra disposable than different tv, but it surely can be barely extra canonized than quite a lot of web stuff. It’s just like the overlap of the Venn diagram between these two issues, and it’s very nimble.” 

Season 50 will probably be Yang’s seventh with SNL, his sixth as a castmember after initially approaching board as a author. The job, maybe one of the open to ridicule within the business, has include its struggles, however Yang says he’s previous that. 

“I went by means of one thing final yr the place I actually form of bottomed out with that concept,” he says. “Since then, it’s been this actually pretty, holistic view of issues, and I’m very happy with what I’ve performed on the present.”  

Not too long ago, on his podcast, Yang referred to SNL as “the cringiest factor in present enterprise.” However the catch is, the cringe is what retains him coming again. 

“There may be this cultural factor making enjoyable of, let’s say, a ‘theater child,’ however theater youngsters have finally overcome this a part of their ego the place they understand it’s just a little bit embarrassing,” Yang says. “There’s this concern of wanting silly that’s holding individuals again [that is] a needed seasoning when it comes to comedy, when it comes to working at SNL.” 

It’s been a journey since he first started work at 30 Rock. “Stepping into for my first display take a look at, it was fully weak,” he says. “I knew no one was going to chortle — that’s the legend of the SNL display take a look at, nobody laughs — I bear in mind strolling away from that first audition, and going, ‘Nicely, I’m not nervous. I’ll by no means be nervous ever once more.’”

Hyperbolic? Perhaps, however Yang says it’s nonetheless true. “My moments of nervousness have simply been unique to SNL. Anyplace outdoors of SNL, I’m form of cool as a cucumber.” 

This story first appeared within the Aug. 14 challenge of The Hollywood Reporter journal. Click on right here to subscribe.