Chad Smith, the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer, interrupts Will Ferrell’s opening monologue on Saturday Night Live at Studio 8H, taking the stage instead of Ferrell. Multiple outlets report that Ferrell, who is set to host the show for a sixth time, appears onstage to address the audience but that the performer is not Ferrell. Smith steps in as a “doppelgänger” of Ferrell, delivering lines that frame the moment as a hijacking of the host’s segment. The bit plays on the long-running jokes about Smith’s resemblance to Ferrell, a comparison that outlets say has circulated for more than a decade.
The reports also connect Smith to the show’s musical segments: Rolling Stone notes that Smith served as drummer for Paul McCartney during the Season 51 finale. Overall coverage describes the exchange as a comedic prank embedded in SNL’s live opening, with Smith presenting himself as the actual host and addressing the audience before the segment proceeds.
