Eddie Murphy Will Host ‘SNL’ for First Time Since 1984, Phoebe Waller-Bridge Also Joins

Ryan Lattanzio

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The 45th season of “Saturday Night Live” has announced its first round of hosts for the fall 2019 season. Kicking off the fall will be Woody Harrelson with performer Billie Eilish on September 28; Phoebe Waller-Bridge with Taylor Swift on October 5; David Harbour with Camila Cabello on October 12; Kristen Stewart on November 21; and Eddie Murphy on December 21.

Notably, this is former “SNL” cast member Eddie Murphy’s first hosting gig since 1984. At just 18 years old, Murphy joined the cast of the variety show in 1980, impressing his colleagues so much that the actor was actually tapped to host an episode despite being a member of the cast. Murphy, who did make an appearance for the show’s 2015 40th-anniversary special, avoided “SNL” for 25 years after then-series-newbie David Spade cracked a joke about Murphy’s back-to-back film flops in 1990.

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In a 2011 Rolling Stone interview, Murphy broke his silence about the feud.

“What really irritated me about it at the time was that it was a career shot. It was like, ‘Hey, come on, man, it’s one thing for you guys to do a joke about some movie of mine, but my career? I’m one of you guys. How many people have come off this show whose careers really are fucked up, and you guys are shitting on me?’ And you know every joke has to go through all the producers, and ultimately, you know Lorne or whoever says, [Lorne Michaels voice] ‘OK, it’s OK to make this career crack…,'” Murphy said.

The musical guests accompanying Murphy and Stewart, who is returning to host for the second time, have yet to be announced. Emmy nominees Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”) and David Harbour (“Stranger Things”) will both be making their SNL debuts. Woody Harrelson will make his fourth appearance as host. (SNL recently re-released a funny 1992 sketch featuring a young Harrelson, titled “Take Your Shirt Off.”)

“Saturday Night Live” is produced in association with Broadway Video. The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels.

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