Glen PowellS “Saturday Night Live” hosting debut was years in the making, and he marked the occasion by bringing a special guest onto Studio 8H’s stage: Mitch, a UPS driver who became an unwitting part of the actor’s journey to the show.
The story began around the time of the Covid-19 pandemic when Powell received the news he would host “SNL.” Celebrating with his family on a porch, he shared the news with a passing UPS driver, telling him to watch the “SNL” Christmas episode. They commemorated the moment with a selfie.
However, Powell’s hosting opportunity was contingent on the release of ”Top Gun: Maverick,” and the film’s pandemic-related delays put his “SNL” debut on hold.
“Without ‘Top Gun,'” Powell quoted “SNL” executive producer Lorne Michaels as saying, “no one will know who the eff you are.”
“Top Gun: Maverick” finally premiered in spring 2022, and Powell, who currently stars in ”The Running Man,” would ultimately host “SNL” several years later.
“So I didn’t end up hosting, which means for four years, this UPS driver was just going around saying ‘Glen Powell is a liar,'” Powell joked during his monologue Saturday.
Powell revealed that his sisters tracked down Mitch,and he flew the driver,identified as “Mitch the UPS guy,” to New York City to witness his long-awaited hosting appearance.
As his monologue concluded, Powell called Mitch onstage for another selfie, solidifying a four-year running joke.
“I had to wait my entire life plus four years to be hear,” Powell said. “But if I have learned anything,it’s that the best things in life don’t happen overnight,and no one knows that better than UPS.”
“SNL” airs on NBC, a division of NBCUniversal, which is also the parent company of NBC News. Olivia Dean was the musical guest.
