Last week onSaturday Night Live, the beloved and joyfulMolly Shannonreturned to her old stomping grounds in Studio 8H. TheA Good PersonandThe Other Twostar never missed a beat, even reprising two of her recurring characters, Sally O’Malley and Jeannie Tracy, in two hilarious sketches. And last night,Ana de Armastook to the stage to make her hosting debut alongsideKarol G.
Ana de Armas opened up about her Hollywood journey that brought her to theSNLstage in her monologue. The 34-year-old actress was born in Cuba and didn’t come to the United States until she was 26. If pursuing an acting career wasn’t difficult enough, she was also learning how to speak English. She, naturally, did this by watching the iconic 1990s seriesFriends, her first real impression of American culture. Her first acting credit is for the 2006 crime dramaUna rosa de Francia, though you likely first started seeing her in the 2010s, when she started appearing in mainstream American films includingWar DogswithJonah HillandMiles Teller, andBlade Runner 2049withJared Leto,Ryan Gosling, andHarrison Ford. By 2019, though, everyone would know her name fromRian Johnson’s murder mysteryKnives Out, in which she led the way alongside an all-star cast that includesDaniel Craig,Chris Evans,Michael Shannon,Toni Collette, andJamie Lee Curtis. This led to her acting inDeep WaterwithBen Affleck, andNo Time to Die, the final James Bond film for Daniel Craig.
The last few months have been a whirlwind for Ana de Armas. “To me, all I’m doing is working,” the Cuban-Spanish actress told Backstage on an episode ofIn the Envelope: Inside the Actor’s Podcast. “The expectation of something changing, or the thought that this dramatic thing in your life is going to happen and now people are going to see you in a different way—very quickly I understood that’s just not something I want to look forward to, or pay attention to.” She earned her first Oscar nomination for her work as Norma Jeane, more commonly known asMarilyn Monroe, inBlonde,the controversial NC-17 adaptation ofJoyce Carol Oates’ novel fictionalizing Monroe’s life. Writer-directorAndrew Dominik’s film is surely de Armas’ boldest and riskiest project to date, as it has audiences and critics wildly divided. Regardless, the actress now has what is the first of hopefully many Oscar nominations under her belt. And, she’s going to officially become an American citizen in just a few weeks.
Later this month on Apple TV+, she is reuniting with herKnives OutandThe Gray Manco-star Chris Evans forGhosted, a romantic action comedy directed byRocketmandirectorDexter Fletcherabout a man named Cole who falls for Sadie, who’s actually a secret spy. When Sadie’s cover is blown, she’s forced to take her aloof date along on her dangerous ride. And in case you thought de Armas wasn’t busy enough, she is set to star alongsideKeanu ReevesinBallerina, theJohn Wickspin-off filmalso starringIan McShane,Norman Reedus, andAnjelica Huston.
Let’s revisit some of the best moments from the April 15 episode ofSaturday Night Live. Live from New York, it’s Ana de Armas!
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5American Girl Doll Movie Trailer
Everyone is over the moon forGreta Gerwig’s upcoming plastic and fantasticBarbiemoviestarringMargot RobbieandRyan Gosling. Bright colors, sleek clothes, laughs, and endless fun. American Girl Doll is ready to get in on the live-action action with a movie of its own. But is it just me, or does this movie look extremely depressing? The American Girls from different eras come together for some fun… and, tragically, cholera.
4Lisa from Temecula: Wedding
Lisa is back, and she has already had it up tohere.Ego Nwodim’s Lisa from Temecula character thatdebuted inPedro Pascal’s episodehas returned for another special occasion she was somehow invited to. The last time we were with her, she was aggressively cutting a steak and causing chaos at a restaurant, and now, she’s tossing a salad like you’ve never seen before. And don’t try to get in her box. Just let her toss her salad! Ana de Armas andBowen Yanghave quite the struggle to keep it together, making this entire thing even funnier. Let’s hope that Lisa from Temecula continues coming back and continues being angry.
3Album Recording Session
Music producer Spicy Fuego (Devon Walker) just wants some sexy cool tags on his beats, so he hires two voice actors (de Armas and Nwodim) to help him out. Unfortunately, despite the repeated attempts at explaining exactly what he was looking for, the actors really struggle with the content. Ana de Armas really goes for it, proving she and Nwodim are a great pair.
2Please Don’t Destroy: Hangxiety
Guys, did anything weird happen last night, or is it just my hangxiety? The Please Don’t Destroy boysMartin Herlihy,John Higgins, andBen Marshallare a little bit overthink-y and stressed about stuff they said and did at one of theSNLafter parties. But, like, maybe it’s just their hangxiety getting the best of them? There’s no way that they caused a scene or embarrassed themselves in any way, shape, or form, right? Uh oh,SNLHR is calling…again.
1Weekend Update: Guru Genesis Fry on Mental Health
Sarah Shermanslid over toColin Jostat the Weekend Update desk as Guru Genesis Fry, adding yet another reason why Sherman and Jost are one ofthe best TV duos. With more of an open discussion and less stigma on the topic of mental health come people who think they know what they are talking about with mental health. This is where Sarah Sherman’s guru Genesis Fry comes in. She has crazy hair, a lot of blue eye shadow, and deep breaths to relax you. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Weekend Update appearance by Sherman if she didn’t manage to harass Jost and claim how he is a pompous, out-of-touch, egotistical menace. Relax! Relax yourarms!
On May 6,SNLalumPete Davidsonreturns to Studio 8H to make his hosting debut.
