Bad Bunny pulled double duty on Saturday Night Live — hosting and serving as musical guest in the same episode — and enlisted a slew of star-studded cameos to help pull it off.
Bad Bunny, 29, kicked off his opening monologue on Saturday, October 21, by sharing his joy about joining the ranks of SNL hosts.
“My name is Benito and I’m so excited to be here on sábado, sorry SNL,” the rapper began, referring to his full name, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio. “People [are] wondering if I can host this show because English is not my first language. I don’t know if they know, [but] I do whatever I want. So, I can host this show in English, I can order McDonald’s in English [and] I can have sex in English, but I prefer sex in Spanish because it’s better. I just prefer Spanish.”
Bad Bunny then switched up his monologue, addressing the SNL crowd in his native Spanish. After getting upset that the show only placed a “speaking in non-English” subtitle on the screen as he spoke, Bad Bunny enlisted some assistance from surprise guest Pedro Pascal.
“I want to bring up my friend to help. Pedro?” Bad Bunny said.
Pascal, 48, then asked if the “Party” musician wanted him to “translate” the rest of his monologue.
“He says, ‘I’m blessed to be here with my favorite actor, Pedro Pascal,’” the Last of Us star, who hosted an episode of SNL season 48 earlier this year, translated before giving Bad Bunny some advice to wrap up the monologue. “I find it’s always charming when you make a self-deprecating joke, where you make a joke about a part of your body or your face that’s unflattering. … You know what also works? Audiences love it when you show an embarrassing photo of yourself.”
Pedro Pascal and Bad Bunny during the SNL Monologue on October 21, 2023. Will Heath/NBC
Bad Bunny did not have either of those additions readily available because, according to Pascal, “There’s clearly nothing about you to make fun of.”
After Bad Bunny teased the “amazing show,” Pascal stuck around for a sketch. He reprised his role of cast member Marcello Hernandez’s “Protective Mother” — which he debuted during his February hosting debut — while Bad Bunny played Hernandez’s aunt.
Bad Bunny as Tia and Pedro Pascal as Mama during the ‘Protective Mom 2’ SNL sketch on October 21, 2023. Will Heath/NBC
The cameos didn’t stop there as Lady Gaga, who last appeared on SNL as musical guest in 2016, stopped by to introduce Bad Bunny’s first singing performance.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Bad Bunny,” Gaga, 37, exclaimed before the rap star kicked his new song “Un Preview.”
Lady Gaga NBC
Saturday also featured a surprise appearance by Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger during Bad Bunny and Hernandez’s SNL sketch about filming a telenovela. After the duo filmed a take — complete with lots of fake slaps — costar Punkie Johnson attempted to master her lines despite not knowing a word of Spanish.
The sketch was punctuated by the arrival of a mustached Jagger, 80, who portrayed Bad Bunny and Hernandez’s onscreen father — and fake-slapped them both.
Bad Bunny, Mick Jagger, and Marcello Hernandez on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ NBC
Pascal, Gaga and Jagger all reunited alongside Bad Bunny for Saturday’s goodnights at the end of the show.
Saturday Night Live airs on NBC Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET.