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In 1991, ‘Saturday Night Live’ booked an uncoventional host. Now, Lorne Michaels calls him “the biggest jerk” in the show’s history
Lorne Michaels has identified Steven Seagal as the worst host in *Saturday Night Live* history, recalling a chaotic 1991 week on the show. The account gained renewed attention after Nicolas Cage worried aloud that he might be remembered as the programme’s “biggest jerk”; Michaels told him Seagal already held that distinction.
Writer and former cast member Bob Odenkirk also described Seagal’s hosting stint as a “famous nightmare”. He said Seagal wanted outside stuntmen brought in so he could beat them in a sketch, and was unfamiliar with how the programme worked. Michaels later said the week was chaotic and not entirely Seagal’s fault; the article also notes allegations of misconduct against Seagal, which it says were often settled out of court.
In short
- Michaels named Steven Seagal SNL’s worst host.
- Bob Odenkirk recalled a chaotic 1991 week.
- Seagal reportedly wanted stuntmen brought in for a sketch.
Explained simply
Saturday Night Live is a long-running American television comedy show, built around sketches and a different guest host each week. The host works with the cast and writers to prepare live performances, so the week’s rehearsals and planning are an important part of the process.
Steven Seagal is an actor and martial artist who hosted the programme in 1991. Lorne Michaels, its creator and producer, and Bob Odenkirk, a writer and former cast member, have since described that week as unusually difficult, citing clashes over sketches and Seagal’s unfamiliarity with the show’s format. The episode is remembered as part of wider discussion about how guest hosts work with a live comedy production.