'Saturday Night Live' Announces Donald Glover as Host and Musical Guest for Next Episode

During this weekend's episode of Saturday Night Live, the show announced the host and musical [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

During this weekend's episode of Saturday Night Live, the show announced the host and musical guest for the next new episode, which does not air until May 5. Surprisingly, the host and musical performer are one in the same person.

Donald Glover will host SNL for the first time in his career, and will also perform as rapper/singer Childish Gambino.

The 34-year-old Glover has a long history with NBC, since he was a writer on 30 Rock and also starred on the cult comedy Community. Today, he is best known as the writer and creator of FX's Atlanta, which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy. He also picked up Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy and Outstanding Director for the episode "B.A.N."

Glover will also star as a young Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which opens on May 25. The role was originated by Billy Dee Williams in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

The actor also voiced Simba for Disney's upcoming The Lion King remake. That movie hits theaters on July 19, 2019.

As for Glover's musical career, he will be going on a short tour in September. The tour stops in Duluth, Georgia; Chicago; Boston, New York; Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; Houston; Dallas; Inglewood and Oakland, California; Seattle; Toronto; and Vancouver.

Glover has released three albums under the Childish Gambino name and won a Grammy award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Redbone." His third album, "Awaken, My Love!", was nominated for Album of the Year.

According to Billboard, Glover plans on retiring the Childish Gambino name after he releases his upcoming fourth album. He also signed a deal with RCA Records in January.

"I stand by that" decision, Glover said after the Grammys. "I'm really appreciative of this. I'm making another project right now, but I like endings, I think they're important to progress."

Glover also said it was important for some projects to come to an end on a good note.

I think if a lot of things had death clauses in them, we wouldn't have a lot of problems in the world, to be honest," Glover said. I think ending are good because they force things to get better."

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