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Here’s one opinion about who should host every single episode of ‘SNL’ this season

By Bethonie Butler, The Washington Post
Published: September 24, 2016, 6:05am
20 Photos
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No. 1: Lin-Manuel Miranda Photo Gallery

We don’t yet know who will host the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live,” which returns on Oct. 1. But we got to brainstorming potential hosts for the sketch comedy series and came up with enough suggestions to fill out the calendar for its 42nd season (based on last season’s 21 episodes).

Here are our picks, loosely pegged to their upcoming projects.

1. Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Tony-winning “Hamilton” creator is our pick for the season premiere. He thinks quickly on his feet — even in high-pressure situations. And a “Hamilton” parody would be “SNL” gold. There’s a reason Kate McKinnon’s Olya Povlatsky has mastered the English phrase “Oh, my god. You haven’t seen ‘Hamilton’?”

2. Sarah Paulson: Paulson just won an Emmy for her standout performance in Ryan Murphy’s “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” and is a fan favorite in Murphy’s other FX anthology series, “American Horror Story.” The Marcia Clark cameo will basically write itself.

3. Donald Glover: Glover, now earning rave reviews for his FX dramedy “Atlanta,” previously honed his comedic chops as an actor on “Community” and a writer for “30 Rock.” And the show might not even need to book a musical guest since he’s also seen success as the rapper Childish Gambino.

4. Rami Malek: When he won an Emmy for his performance on “Mr. Robot,” Malek’s first instinct was dry humor: “Tell me you’re seeing this too.” Also, Malek and “SNL” cast member Pete Davidson apparently get mistaken for each other quite often — there has to be a sketch in there somewhere.

5. Emily Blunt: The actress leads next month’s mystery thriller “Girl on a Train,” and anyone who saw “The Devil Wears Prada” knows she can be hilarious.

6. Issa Rae: People are really excited about Rae’s upcoming HBO comedy “Insecure” (premiering Oct. 9), but it’s the trademark deadpan she delivers in her breakout hit web series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” that has us convinced she’d be great on “SNL.”

7. Gina Rodriguez: The Golden Globe-winning actress charms in CW’s “Jane the Virgin” (which returns Oct. 17) and we can already envision a sketch that shows off her insane rap skills: Unassuming middle school teacher defeats one of her students (please be Davidson) in a rap battle.

8. Winona Ryder: On the heels of her “Stranger Things” comeback, the actress should host the show again — this time, with cameos from the child stars of the Netflix series. One of the “SNL” players should appear as the beloved Barb. (Or, Barb could appear as Barb, which just might break the internet.)

9. Laura Benanti: Honestly, we hope Lorne Michaels called the Tony-winning actress immediately after her pitch-perfect Melania Trump impression on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.” She could host in November or have a recurring presence on the show a la Justin Timberlake.

10. Benedict Cumberbatch: The actor, slated to play the title role in Marvel’s “Dr. Strange” this November, has a rabid fan following and does a host of celebrity impressions — including one of Tom Hiddleston. (Hmm … who is impersonating Taylor Swift these days?)

11. Kiefer Sutherland: The star of ABC’s new fall show “Designated Survivor” has experience hosting “SNL” ahead of a presidential election. In 1991, the man who would become Jack Bauer played a potential candidate with no interest in running against President George H.W. Bush.

12. Owen Wilson: The actor, who stars in “Bastards” this November, has appeared on “SNL” as his “Zoolander” character, Hansel, but has never hosted. We have a feeling new cast member Melissa Villase?or could have some fun during Wilson’s monologue since she does a pretty spot-on impression.

13. Hailee Steinfeld: The Oscar-nominated actress is already getting buzz for “The Edge of Seventeen,” which also hits theaters this November, and she showed off her expanded skill set as a Barden Bella in “Pitch Perfect 2? before releasing a provocative single last year.

14. Rihanna: After her tour ends in November, the singer (who has been a musical guest several times) should take the full hosting plunge. Think of all the jokes at Drake’s expense. And the potential return of ShyRonnie!

15. Will Smith: Somehow, the Oscar-nominated actor, who starred in a very funny ’90s sitcom, has never hosted “SNL” He’ll be in “Collateral Beauty” this December, so maybe there’s an opportunity to see him star in a sketch alongside his famously quirky children.

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16. Idris Elba: Between his acting and musical talents, the actor would make a great “SNL” host. In February, he’ll star alongside Matthew McConaughey in “The Dark Tower.” Plus, think about how dapper the bumper photos will be.

17. Emma Watson: The actress will play Belle next year in the highly anticipated live-action version of “Beauty and the Beast.” “SNL” already did an edgy “Harry Potter” spoof back when Lindsay Lohan hosted in 2004, but we think we’re due for another Hermione update.

18. Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer from “Broad City”: The pair should host when their Comedy Central show returns sometime next year. With musical guest Snoop Dogg, obviously.

19. Aziz Ansari: The former “Parks and Recreation” star, who just won an Emmy for writing his Netflix comedy “Master of None,” should get a warm welcome at Studio 8H. Have him host ahead of the show’s second season, which is expected to hit the streaming network sometime in the spring.

20. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele: The comedic duo ended their Emmy-winning sketch variety show last year and are working on separate projects. But Peele recently told Entertainment Weekly that they “will always come back and do things together.” May we suggest hosting “Saturday Night Live?”

21. Bill Nye: The beloved “Science Guy” should host an episode ahead of his Netflix talk show “Bill Nye Saves the World,” expected to premiere in the spring. An unconventional choice? Maybe. Then again, he appeared on “Inside Amy Schumer”…

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