Adam Sandler’s performance at Sunday night’s “SNL50: Anniversary Special” was one of the most memorable moments of the night — even before it began. The performance was introduced by Jack Nicholson, who received loud applause inside Studio 8H.
“Everyone in this room has something in common. All of our lives were changed by the show,” Sandler, who spent five years on “Saturday Night Live” from 1991 to 1995, began. His song highlighted many behind-the-scenes jokes, including calling out “Drunk Wally” for holding the cue cards upside down and thanking “Nurse Teresa” for the many doses of Pepto Bismol.
“50 years of writers seeing Spielberg at Lorne’s monitors, not laughing at one of their sketches that he obviously hated,” Sandler sang. “50 years of those same writers getting wasted at the after party and loudly telling everybody that ‘Jaws ‘was overrated.”
Sandler joked about how each cast feels they’re the best, but “we know that the first cast was the best.” With that, he went on to honor the many performers through the years.
“We got four years of Eddie Murphy, eight years of Will Forte, five years of Jan Hooks and Gilda [Radner], six of Victoria [Jackson], 11 of [Michael] Che, three years of Melanie Hutsell, Michael McKean crushed it in two,” he sang. “One of Billy Crystal, six of Dennis Miller, eight of [Phil] Hartman, the glue.”
After naming many other longtime vets, he added, “six years of our boy [Chris] Farley, five of our buddy Norm [Macdonald].”
Sandler is known for his musical mashup of memories; in his 2018 Netflix special, “100% Fresh,” Sandler debuted a song about Farley, his longtime friend, who died in 1997 at age 33. He then performed the number the following year on “Saturday Night Live,” while clips of the pair together played onscreen.
Sandler got choked up during the song, recalling a time he found Farley crying while listening to KC & the Sunshine Band. “I said, ‘Buddy, how the hell is that making you so sad?’” Sandler sang. “Then he laughed and said, ‘Just thinkin’ about my dad.’”
Sandler was one of dozens of past “Saturday Night Live” alumni who returned for the special, live from Studio 8H in New York City. Kenan Thompson, Pete Davidson, Maya Rudolph, Jason Sudeikis, Tiny Fey, Amy Poehler, Eddie Murphy, Ana Gasteyer, Tracy Morgan, Rachel Dratch, Leslie Jones, Laraine Newman, Chevy Chase, Kristen Wiig, Chris Rock, Fred Armisen, Will Forte, Molly Shannon, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Seth Meyers and Will Ferrell were among the former “SNL” cast members in attendance.
Watch Sandler’s full performance:
From Variety US