Ryan Gosling Struggles (Again) to Keep a Straight Face Around Kate McKinnon & Aidy Bryant in 'SNL' Premiere
It's tough not to laugh where you're acting against some of the funniest comedic talents in Hollywood.
The first time Ryan Gosling hostedSaturday Night Live in December 2015, he had a hard time keeping a straight face, especially around Kate McKinnon. And as it turns out, his second time around proved just as difficult.
When the handsome star returned to host the show a second time for its season 43 premiere over the weekend, the first sketch of the night (not counting the cold open or Gosling's monologue, where he also broke with a laugh, but for just a second) saw Gosling losing his cool once again.
In the "Another Close Encounter" sketch, Gosling, McKinnon and Cecily Strong played the same alien abductees as they did when the star hosted the first time and completely broke down laughing.
WATCH: Bobby Moynihan Explains the Story Behind Ryan Gosling's 'SNL' Giggle Fit
In the sketch, the trio are recounting their time with the aliens to two government officials, and while Gosling and Strong's characters had almost transcendent experiences, McKinnon's recollections of the events are quite a bit trashier.
The first time they did this sketch, all McKinnon needed to do to cause literally every one of her scene partners to break down into fits of laughter was to deliver her deadpan description of the bizarre and perverse run-in she had with the aliens.
MORE: From Alien Abductees to Fake Game Shows: The 15 Best 'SNL' Sketches of 2015
However, this time around, it was clear McKinnon wanted to make Gosling break again, and she would stop at nothing to get that to happen.
Which is why we all got to witness the surreal comedy magic of Gosling, bent over a chair, while McKinnon punched and groped his butt. Needless to say, Gosling's already tenuous grasp on keeping a straight face was quickly lost.
WATCH: Ryan Gosling Can't Stop and Emma Stone Brag About Saving Jazz in Hilarious 'SNL' Monologue
While most fans expected to see the Blade Runner 2049 star struggle to choke back laughter as soon as the familiar sketch was introduced, it was far from his only giggle-fit of the night.
One of the most overt laugh attacks came during a truly inexplicable sketch called "Henrietta & The Fugitive."
It was a send-up of the film noir genre in which Gosling starred as a criminal on the run who hides out in a barn. Aidy Bryant played a human-sized anthropomorphic chicken who is convinced by the fugitive that he loves her so that she'll cover for him when the police come looking.
Despite strong efforts from everyone in the scene (including Kenan Thompson, Beck Bennett and Alex Moffat) the sketch started to drag on pretty early, and there was still a lot more to go.
Eventually, however, it seemed that Gosling (the actor, not his character) suddenly realized how absurd the whole scenario really was and just started laughing without any real attempt to hide it, and it was one of the best moments of the sketch.
NEWS: Alec Baldwin Returns as Donald Trump in Scathing 'SNL' Season 43 Premiere Cold Open
Gosling's inability to keep a straight face in some of the night's sketches just goes to prove that he's so charismatic, even a sketch that's bombing hard can be saved (at least temporarily) with just a flash of his charming smile -- which really is the mark of a good host.
Check out the video below for more on the La La Land star's hilarious first turn as an SNL host nearly two years ago.
Related Articles
