Scarlett Johansson plays Katie Britt in 'SNL' skit, Ariana Grande performs with help of mom Joan
Roll tide? On this week's "Saturday Night Live," Scarlett Johansson joined NBC's weekly troll ride to spoof Alabama Sen. Katie Britt's State of the Union response.
Johansson, who is married to "SNL" Weekend Update co-host Colin Jost, joined the sketch show live from New York City to spoof Britt as Josh Brolin hosted the program with Ariana Grande as musical guest. Britt, the freshman senator from Alabama, went viral for her delivery during the Republican response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union on Thursday.
The spoof featured CNN's coverage of the incident, including Ego Nwodim as the network's primetime star Abby Phillip, who introduced the senator, and Mikey Day, who appeared earlier in the skit as President Biden.
“My husband Wesley and I just watched President Biden’s speech, and what I saw was the performance of a permanent politician. But me? I’m not performing. I’m not! I’m not!” Johannsen said, donning a similar cross necklace and green blouse as Britt.
The late-night program spoofed Britt's kitchen table speech from Montgomery, Alabama, which has received criticism for claims she made about a rape that occurred at the hands of a sex trafficking operation run by cartels. But multiple reports have noted that the assaults likely did not happen in the United States or during Biden’s term in office.
'Saturday Night Live' hits Katie Britt'sRepublican response to Joe Biden's State of the Union
“First and foremost, I’m a mom. And like any mom, I’m going to do a pivot out of nowhere into a shockingly violent story about sex trafficking," Johansson said.
Josh Brolin strips down during hosting gig, takes cold plunge
Johansson's Britt spoof wasn't the only Saturday night surprise. Brolin stripped down during his first "SNL" hosting gig in 12 years, joking that "so much has changed" before capturing laughs while quipping, "not really." Brolin added that he first hosted in 2008 with musical guest Adele, who was just arriving with mainstream music success.
"This is my third time hosting and man, there's just nothing like it," Brolin said. "You know I've been doing cold plunges for 20 years, and the only thing I can compare this show to is that."
Then, Brolin took off his suit and jumped into a cold bath before yelling "I am inevitable!"
Later, Grande joined a musical "Moulin Rouge" sketch featuring Brolin and "SNL" cast member Bowen Yang. Yang plays Pfannee and stars opposite Grande's Glinda in the film adaptation of Broadway favorite "Wicked," which premieres Nov. 27.
The pair laughed through Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" and sang "Defying Gravity," a famous song off the "Wicked" soundtrack.
Ariana Grande brings 'Eternal Sunshine' to 'SNL' stage with surprise appearance by mom Joan
Grande also made a triumphant return as musical guest to the "SNL" stage with performances of "Imperfect for You" and "We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)." The pair of songs were released as part of her new record "Eternal Sunshine," which came out Friday.
The two-time Grammy winner was introduced for her "imperfect" performance by her mom, Joan Grande. On Friday, "Eternal Sunshine" became Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day in 2024 thus far. The next day, she addressed speculation surrounding the album's subject matter in a lengthy statement on her Instagram Story.
"I just wanted to say anyone that is sending hateful messages to the people in my life based on your interpretation of this album is not supporting me and is absolutely doing the polar opposite of what I ever encourage (and is also entirely misinterpreting the intention behind the music)," Grande said.
The "Yes, And?" hitmaker said that the album is "woven together with a through line of deep, sincere love," before adding, "If you cannot hear that, please listen more closely."
Contributing: Marina Pitofsky