Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson stole the spotlight at the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary event with a hilarious comedic bit that had the audience in stitches. The Hollywood couple “stormed out” of the event after host Jimmy Fallon announced that the three-hour SNL concert would not be handing out any awards.
Fallon explained, “Apparently, there’s been some confusion. This is just a concert. We’re not giving out any awards tonight. So I just want to make sure that everyone knows that.”
At this moment, a clip that quickly circulated online showed Hanks and Wilson jokingly walking out of Radio City Music Hall in New York, with Wilson wagging her finger at the camera. Fallon, playing along, said, “Tom? Rita? We lost Tom Hanks and Rita. Sorry. It wasn’t their fault.”
Over the years, Hanks has hosted SNL 10 times and made numerous cameos, the most recent being in December 2024. This accomplishment earned him a place in the coveted Five-Timers Club, which recognizes stars who have hosted the show five times or more. Other members of the club include Bill Murray, Drew Barrymore, Melissa McCarthy, and Dwayne Johnson.
The star-studded 50th anniversary event brought together many key figures from SNL’s history, with former cast members like Amy Poehler, Eddie Murphy, Molly Shannon, Kristen Wiig, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Maya Rudolph, Pete Davidson, and Tracy Morgan all making appearances. Other notable figures, including Tina Fey, Will Forte, Kate McKinnon, Andy Samberg, Seth Meyers, Kenan Thompson, Jason Sudeikis, Fred Armisen, and Chris Rock, also participated. Fans were quick to notice the absence of Bill Hader, leading many to call for the return of the Barry star.
The special also featured celebrities who have guest-hosted over the years, such as Adam Driver, Ayo Edebiri, Dave Chappelle, John Mulaney, Kim Kardashian, Martin Short, Miley Cyrus, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Pedro Pascal, Peyton Manning, Quinta Brunson, Robert De Niro, Sabrina Carpenter, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, and Woody Harrelson.
The original SNL cast, known as the Not Ready for Prime Time Players, included Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Laraine Newman, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris, and Jane Curtin. Tragically, Radner and Belushi have passed away. Aykroyd’s absence from the list of returning cast members was unclear, although he posted enthusiastically about the anniversary on social media last week.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, Peacock is streaming a four-part documentary series titled SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, which takes an in-depth look at the show’s storied history.
