Jake Gyllenhaal was honored to host the season 49 finale of Saturday Night Live over the weekend -- even if he made it very clear it would have been somewhat cooler to host the season 50 premiere.
Gyllenhaal took to the Studio 8H stage on Saturday to host for the third time (after previously helming shows in 2007 and 2022), and he made it clear just how excited he was (more or less).
"It's great to be hosting the finale of season 49! I mean, when you think of historic television seasons, the first number that pops into your head is 49," Gyllenhaal quipped. "I mean, sure, you know, one more episode and I would have been hosting the premiere of the 50th season. But who cares? You know, 49 is a great number. I mean, seven times seven? Classic. Oh, and 49 is like 69 but easier."
"Also, 49 is the number of times Conor McGregor 'accidentally' punched me during Road House," Gyllenhaal added with a chuckle. "People ask me what it's like to work with Conor, and I always say, 'Oh, so great!' Because I'm scared he's nearby."
The actor starred opposite the MMA star and professional fighter in his acting debut in the 2024 remake of Road House. In the well-received action flick, Gyllenhaal's former MMA fighter, Dalton, faces off in a brutal, shirtless fight against McGregor's psychotic Knox.
According to both stars who spoke about their scenes together during the press tour, Gyllenhaal had to repeatedly remind McGregor not to actually hit him during their rehearsed fight, because the long-time pro fighter's instincts would kick in.
After his quip about McGregor, Gyllenhaal made sure to kick off the season finale in style with a musical number in which he sang about how many other people they asked before coming to him to host the episode.
"You know, I was actually SNL's first choice to host the finale. After a lot of people said no. I guess they're all holding out for the 50th. But not me, not little JG, I'm the one who said yeah," he sang. "They asked Pedro Pascal but he wasn't around. Zendaya said no 'cause she'd be out of town. They even asked Gosling to come back again, just hosted three shows ago!"
Gyllenhaal spoke with ET back in March about his Road House remake, and gushed over getting to take on a role originated by the late Patrick Swayze.
"I mean, from the jump, from the moment I met Patrick -- we worked on the [2001] movie Donnie Darko -- and from all the scenes we filmed and throughout the years, him and his wife, Lisa [Niemi] -- and even Lisa to this day -- have been just loving and supportive," Gyllenhaal recalled. "They were just such a beautiful couple."
"I think he was raised in that sort of theatrical dancing ensemble idea," he added, "and he always brought that to the groups that he worked with and brought that to me."
Saturday Night Live airs live, coast to coast, at 11:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC. In addition to the broadcast on NBC, SNL streams live on Peacock.
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