What Steve Martin And Martin Short Really Thought About Selena Gomez's SNL Debut
From Waverly Place to the Arconia, Selena Gomez has taken another New York City landmark by storm: 30 Rock. Last weekend she hosted "Saturday Night Live," with Post Malone joining her as the musical guest. Gomez previously appeared on "SNL" as that week's musical guest in 2016, performing her hits "Good For You" and "Same Old Love," but this was her first time hosting the legendary sketch show. In her opening monologue, she made fun of her time on "Barney & Friends," did a twangy impression of Disney peer Miley Cyrus, and shouted out her "Only Murders in the Building" co-stars, Steve Martin and Martin Short.
Both comedy veterans go way back with the "SNL" cast: Short was briefly a cast member in the '80s and later hosted, while Martin has hosted 15 times over the years. Gomez became close with them while filming "Only Murders," with Martin appearing in one of her sketches last Saturday. In the sketch, titled "Inventor Documentary," Gomez narrated the history of Martin's character, who invented the whoopee cushion. While he was happy to appear in Gomez's episode, how did Steve Martin and Martin Short think she handled the gig?
Steve Martin and Martin Short were huge fans
To no one's surprise, both Steve Martin and Martin Short thought Selena Gomez did an excellent job hosting "SNL." When Gomez asked for their opinions in front of ET, Martin told her, "I thought you delivered the comedy so beautifully and so low key, but hilarious." She was clearly touched by the compliment, as the two men are among comedy's most iconic duos, and they've both deeply close to the "Saturday Night Live" legacy.
After Martin's compliment, Short asked him, "Would you ever want me to do something like that?," to which Martin jokingly replied, "No, I don't think you'd be good at it." All three of their "Only Murders in the Building" characters have similar banter, playfully bickering but still showing up for each other.
Despite Martin and Short's illustrious comedic backgrounds, Gomez has managed to hold her own on "Only Murders." She didn't let them outshine her, and in 2022 she was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy Series at the Critics' Choice Awards for her work on the show. Most of Gomez's roles have been comedic ever since getting her big break on "Wizards of Waverly Place," but between "Only Murders" and "SNL," this is the most recognition her funny bone has ever gotten. The show's second season premieres on Hulu on June 28, 2022.