It was touch and go there for a minute, but Paul Rudd finally got his "Five-Timers Club" jacket on "Saturday Night Live."
People’s “Sexiest Man Alive 2021” was slated to appear on Saturday's episode, but some fans worried that he might have to wait for another night to host the show as news came down that "Saturday Night Live" was majorly revamping the night’s episode due to a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in New York City.
But the show continued, albeit with some changes, and right from the jump, the NBC mainstay did a great job calming fears of a laugh-less late night.
First came the always reassuring face of Tom Hanks, as he walked out onto the quiet stage and explained the situation – limited cast, no audience – and insisted that the Paul Rudd would be accepting his entry into the Five-Timers Club. That’s the exclusive club of celebrities who’ve hosted "Saturday Night Live" five times.
Finally out walked Paul Rudd. He previously hosted "SNL" in 2008, 2010, 2013, and 2019.
Though his special occasion did not have the traditional cheering audience, Rudd played along great as other stars came on stage (Tina Fey, Kenan Thompson) or via video clip (Steve Martin, Martin Short), sliding right into the opening and pulling laughs from the cast and crew.
As Thompson handed the "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" star his silky blue Five-Timer Club smoking jacket – "Congratulations on hosting the show four-and-a-half times," Thompson joked – Rudd reveled in the expert detailing of the jacket, and acknowledged the oddness of the situation.
As People explained, "SNL" filled out the rest of the show with hilarious holiday highlights from seasons past, as well as a few digital shorts with Rudd and the cast, pre-recorded earlier in the week.
The episode's musical guest, Charli XCX, bowed out too.
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It was only that afternoon that the show’s producers released an official statement about the abrupt change in plans:
"Due to the recent spike in the omicron variant and out of an abundance of caution, there will be no live audience for tonight's taping of Saturday Night Live and the show will have limited cast and crew. The show continues to follow all government safety guidelines in addition to a rigorous testing protocol. Individuals who won tickets for Saturday's episode will receive additional information. Thank you for your patience and understanding."
Rudd shares the Five-Timers Club honor with, among others, Will Ferrell, the co-star of Rudd’s latest work, the strange real-life story adaptation, "The Shrink Next Door," now streaming on Netflix.
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