Videos: Chris Pine Sings And Dances (A Lot) On Saturday Night Live
May 7, 2017, 1 p.m.
Also, what's the difference between Chris Pine, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans?
Chris Pine is one of many handsome white action stars named Chris that have emerged from Hollywood in recent years, so he took the opportunity to clear up who he is on Saturday Night Live. First he told the audience during his monologue, "I have a movie coming out this weekend. It's called Guardians of the Galaxy." When they clapped, Pine shook his head, "See! You see! I knew that was going to happen. That's Chris Pratt."
After Leslie Jones told him she had no idea who he was ("You're Captain America!") and Kate McKinnon had to resort to notes on her hand ("You're all named Chris and you're all scruffy and squinty and jacked, but in a sweet way."), Pine sang, to the tune of "Uptown Girl" with a poster showing various Chris's, "We're all white guys... but these aren't the white guys I am," before trying to convince Peter Davidson he's not Ryan Reynolds either.
The majority of Pine's sketches involved singing or dancing—is this his bid for a La La Land type role?—and he was a very game participant, clearly committed to every sketch, from the SWAT team recon where he and Mikey Day had a Cotton Candy Dance Party (definitely one of the funniest bits of the season, for its sheer zaniness and joy) to playing an auto body shop worker who loves RuPaul's Drag Race.
There was singing in the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? homage, "Where in the World is Kellyanne Conway?", with Sasheer Zamata giving a killer impression of Lynne Thigpen's "The Chief" and Pine playing a member of Rockapella. There was singing in the "World Peace Rap" video with Beck Bennett as Slav D. as well as an HR sketch with Vanessa Bayer and Aidy Bryant belting out "The Boy is Mine" Sadly, there's no video of the HR bit, likely due to music rights issues, but it will live on in memories:
Is it sad that I knew it was "the boy is mine" even before they started singing? #snl @nbcsnl #throwback
— Tree (@tlimmartin) May 7, 2017
HR reps LOVE "The Boy Is Mine." This is well known. #SNL
— Tom Brazelton (@tombrazelton) May 7, 2017
Carmen Sandiego and "The Boy is Mine" makes me feel 100% sure all the writers of SNL are my age.
— Nina Sclafani (@Ninamsclafani) May 7, 2017
A few sketches didn't require show tunes—the "Morning Joe" cold open, The Handmaid's Tale bro showdown and a spoof of The Real World—not to mention Weekend Update. But a Star Trek parody and the final skit, about couples game night, ended the show with singing and/or dancing. Click through for videos from the show, including LCD Soundsystem's return.
Next week, Melissa McCarthy hosts with musical guest Haim.
