Timothée Chalamet Pulls Double Duty on a New Episode of Saturday Night Live

Earlier this month, fans were shocked when Saturday Night Live announced that Timothée Chalamet would pull double duty as the host and musical guest. Although they didn’t know what to expect, fans hoped for the best.

Most special guests on SNL appear to promote their latest projects, and Chalamet was no exception. His hosting stint made sense, given that his latest film, A Complete Unknown, is still in theaters. What came as a surprise, however, was his dual role as host and musical guest.

In A Complete Unknown, the actor portrays a nineteen-year-old Bob Dylan and follows his arrival on the 1960s folk music scene. Going from his arrival in New York City to his controversial performance at the 1965 New Port Folk Festival, it is a glimpse into the roots of a rising star who would become a legend.

The film has received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Chalamet for Best Actor.

The last celebrity to pull double duty was Charli xcx back in November. Other notable artists who have performed double duty on SNL include Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Brittany Spears, Donald Glover, Halsey, Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion, and more.

SNL has had a handful of hosts who completely missed the mark, but the actor had the charm and humor to mesh well with the rest of the cast.

His hosting skills are no question as Chalamet is no stranger to the SNL stage. This is his third time hosting, and he has been delighted each time. Part of SNL‘s charm is seeing actors who usually channel very layered and dark characters, like Paul Atreides of Dune, embrace the silliness of a live late-night sketch comedy series.

However, it’s clear the actor had something to prove. His latest leading actor nomination for A Complete Unknown is his second from the Academy, but his ninth time being nominated for Best Leading Actor at the Oscars, BAFTAs, SAG, and even the Golden Globes. All nominated, all lost. Something he poked fun at in his opening monologue.

“It’s an enormous honor going to these award shows; it’s such a great experience, but I just keep losing,” he joked. “And each time, it gets harder to pretend it doesn’t sting.”

While many expected him to perform songs from the film, Chalamet surprised audiences by performing three lesser-known Bob Dylan tracks. First was a mashup of “Outlaw Blues”/”Three Angels”, and “Tomorrow is a Long Time” for his second performance. Singer-songwriter James Blake also joined him for both performances.

Did it work? Well, we will have to wait till March and watch the Oscars to find out.

To make a special evening even more special, he was not the only guest on this episode. Legendary songwriter and filmmaker Lin-Manuel Miranda made a special Hamilton cameo at this week’s cold open. Albeit no rapping, he stood there frozen while President Trump (James Austin Johnson) rattled on.

Actor Adam Sandler made a special appearance to introduce his former Men, Women, and Children co-star as the musical act. But of course, he did it in his very own Chalamet way, so he introduced him as “Timothée ah SHALOMAAYYYY.”

Some other highlights from the episode include the actor as a funky little barista boy, a terrible AI rendering of a textbook with Marcello Hernandez, Bowen Yang, and God (yes, that God).

Timothée Chalamet’s SNL appearance is available to watch now on Peacock.