Watch Chad Smith play who’s who with Will Ferrell in ‘SNL’ monologue
Chad Smith wasn’t billed as the host for the 51st season finale of Saturday Night Live, but on the night he took the reins from Will Ferrell to try his hand at impersonating his doppelgänger.
On May 18th, fans at Studio 8H were in for a surprise when the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer, Smith, took to the stage instead of the billed host for the season finale, Ferrell.
“I’m thrilled to be back hosting ‘Saturday Night Live,’” said the musician, who looks so much like the Hollywood actor that their resemblance has been joked about for decades. “I was a cast member here for seven years. And now I’m hosting for the sixth time!”
He added, “It really feels like coming home, I love it here,” while Ferrell can be seen scrambling through a door in the background, rushing to the stage.
The Step Brothers star addressed Smith, crying, “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You’re not the host. I am!”
Ferrell continued, “What the hell is wrong with you? He pushed me down backstage. And I fell, hard. Lorne had to give me mouth-to-mouth. Seriously, what are you even doing here?”
Eventually, Smith’s minute in the spotlight was over, but Ferrell would go on to call on another recognisable musician. When taking a question from the audience, the Elf star called on “the cute one”, picking out Beatles legend Paul McCartney, who was the musical guest for the evening.
“I have a question. What do you think you’re doing, Chad?” the Beatle asked Ferrell. In turn, he explained exasperatedly, “Look, I understand your confusion. Me and Chad do look a lot alike. But I’m Will. I’m hosting tonight.”
McCartney had a pithy response to the explanation, sharing with Ferrell: “Nice try, Chad. Get back. Get back behind the drums where you belong.”
Later that evening, McCartney would perform three songs on the season finale: ‘Days We Left Behind’, ‘Band on the Run’, and a surprising rendition of ‘Coming Up’ as the encore while the credits rolled.
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