‘SNL’ Tonight: Regé-Jean Page Switches up His Name in New Promo With Bad Bunny

Actor Regé-Jean Page is prepared to change his own name this weekend just in time for his first appearance on Saturday Night Live. Page is hosting SNL alongside musical guest Bad Bunny. In a promo with cast member Melissa Villasenor, Page considered adopting a stage name of his own.

The commercial finds Page standing in Studio 8H with Villasenor and Bad Bunny on either side of him. In the short clip, Villasenor muses: “I think I’m going to go by ‘Bad Melissa’ now.” “Cool, I’m going to go by Regé-Jean Bunny,” Page answers, then turning to Bad Bunny himself he asks: “What about you?” The rapper answers: “Bad Bunny is already cool, so I think I’m going to keep it.”

“Yeah, that’s fair,” Page agrees before the SNL theme cuts them off. The promo got many fans excited for this weekend’s episode, which brings some huge stars to the stage for the first time. Page has become an international sensation in recent months after co-starring in the Netflix original series Bridgerton, and now fans will finally get to assess his comedy chops.

Page is not the only SNL newcomer this weekend. Bad Bunny — whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — will be making his debut as well. In just under three years now, Ocasio has gone from a college student and grocery store clerk to an international celebrity, all while releasing music mostly in Spanish.
It is not clear if Ocasio will join the cast for any sketches or jokes in the main telecast itself, although Page is primed for some topical comedy. SNL already poked fun at Bridgerton once in a sketch with a parody theme song for the series, all the way back in January.

Page played Simon Basset on Bridgerton — a duke and a bachelor entertaining a secret romance with debutant Daphne Bridgerton, who is played by Phoebe Dynevor. On SNL, cast member Chloe Fineman already played a parody version of Daphne once, so there is a chance she will have some scenes with Page this weekend. However, even with its late air time SNL cannot get nearly as steamy as Bridgerton itself.

SNL is still doing its best to maintain coronavirus safety precautions in the studio without giving up live telecasts altogether. The promo showed Page, Ocasio and Villasenor wearing face masks, and the sketches will be strategically staged to keep the cast apart as much as possible. The new episode premieres at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.