Chad Smith Joins Will Ferrell on Stage for a Fun SNL Opening Monologue Surprise
Will Ferrell launched his sixth hosting stint on Saturday Night Live Saturday night, but the evening took an unexpected turn right from the start.
As Ferrell made his entrance down the stairs at Studio 8H, he was momentarily replaced by Chad Smith, drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Clad in a blue suit identical to Ferrell’s, Smith playfully took the spotlight.
“Everyone shut up,” Ferrell said, finally appearing and downplaying the audience’s cheers for Smith, claiming the drummer “pushed me down backstage.”
“And I fell — hard. And Lorne had to give me mouth-to-mouth,” he quipped, eliciting laughter from the audience.
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Attempting to regain control of the evening, Smith insisted he was the musical guest, but Ferrell ushered him offstage. Acknowledging the weird vibe, Ferrell remarked that Smith had “taken the wind out of his sails,” and decided to start taking questions from the audience with a self-deprecating sense of humor.
Paul McCartney, the actual musical guest for the night, was the first to pose a question, further adding to the confusion between him and Smith.
Ferrell proceeded to rattle off an impressive list of McCartney’s most cherished hits, while humorously noting that, despite McCartney’s talent, he could not claim authorship of “The Alphabet Song,” “Timber (ft. Pitbull),” or “all the Smash Mouth stuff.”
This hosting appearance places Ferrell among the elite performers who have crossed the SNL Five-Timers threshold, joining the ranks of fellow alumni Tina Fey, with six appearances, and the record-holder Chevy Chase, who has hosted eight times.
Will Ferrell’s monologue! pic.twitter.com/RL7wQjF9bv
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) May 17, 2026
