The latest episode of “Saturday Night Live” opened with Marcello Hernandez and Heidi Gardner masquerading as two reporters from Access Hollywood stationed at the 2023 Oscars red carpet.
The two recounted the miserable circumstances they’ve endured throughout the day — from limited bathroom breaks to long lines outside of the Dolby Theatre — before Hernandez chimed in, “But it’s all worth it to ask Angela Bassett if she really did the thing.”
The comment was aimed at “West Side Story” star Ariana DeBose, who celebrated leading and supporting actress nominees at the 2023 BAFTA awards with a now-viral rap. But the jokes didn’t stop there; Gardner proceeded to levy jabs at the Academy, satirizing the award show’s implementation of revised security protocol following last year’s ceremony.
“Last year, the Oscars had the slap which was awesome. I mean bad. So bad,” Gardner said. “This year, to make sure nothing crazy happens, the Academy hired a new head of security: notoriously calm and sane person, Mike Tyson.”
Kenan Thompson emerged as the former pro-boxer — face tattoo and all. When asked what new security measures would be put in place for the upcoming show, Thompson explained: “This year, all the nominees have been given tasers, all the seat fillers have been given guns, and Jimmy Kimmel has been given a flamethrower.”
Portraying Tyson, Thompson then noted that the Academy slipped an Apple AirTag into Will Smith’s pocket to track his location, just in case he’s planning another slap.
Interviews with Mike Tyson and Jamie Lee Curtis direct from the Oscars r̵e̵d̵ champagne carpet pic.twitter/Xy3BXH77Kb
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) March 12, 2023
Other featured players took to the stage embodying a selection of this year’s Oscar-nominated actors, such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.
The March 11 episode marked Ortega’s hosting debut on “Saturday Night Live,” heralding the opening weekend of “Scream VI.”
Ortega is among the core ensemble of the sixth installment in the “Scream” franchise. The 20-year-old actor reprises the role of Tara Carpenter, a character she first played in 2022’s “Scream,” and is joined by returning co-stars Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Courteney Cox, Hayden Panettiere and Roger L. Jackson as the voice of Ghostface.
“The 1975,” rock band led by frontman Matthew Healy, returned to the “SNL” stage as the musical guest for the evening. The British bandmates last performed on the show in 2016.
“Saturday Night Live” airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, the network’s streaming service.
