John Mulaney triumphantly returned to Saturday Night Live last night to earn his spot in the Five-Timers Club, hosting alongside musical guest LCD Soundsystem. The variety show featured a somber start for the cold open, with the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York performing the song “Prayer for Ukraine” as a tribute to the people who are currently defending their homeland from the Russian military. However, things soon returned back to the standard SNL formula, with the standup comedian launching into a monologue.
He touched on his personal life, including his journey to get sober, his new baby, and his girlfriend, although he did not mention Olivia Munn by name. Mulaney referenced his intervention and the fact that his drug dealer wasn’t really a drug dealer but a guy who would buy drugs to sell him because he was worried about him seeking out worse drugs elsewhere.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Mulaney also spoke about the moment he bonded with his son, Malcolm. “We were in the delivery room, my girlfriend had just given birth. They put him on this warmer under this really bright light and he just looks up at the light,” Mulaney said, mimicking the baby’s squint. “He was annoyed but he didn’t say anything.” Mulaney found this relatable.
“I was like ‘That’s my son. A polite man in an uncomfortable situation that’s not going to make a fuss,” Mulaney joked. “He’s a very good boy.”
Mulaney joined the SNL team as a writer from 2008 to 2012 and won an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics in 2011 for Justin Timberlake’s monologue. He won a second Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special for the 2018 special John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City. His 2019 SNL appearance scored him an Emmy nod for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. That same episode featured the now-classic “Bodega Bathroom” sketch. He is scheduled to start his From Scratch tour at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Pennsylvania on March 11.
