Did you see how Kansas City and Missouri took over the latest ‘Saturday Night Live’?
Kansas City has had a place on “Saturday Night Live” for years, with former cast member Jason Sudeikis and now versatile funny woman Heidi Gardner.
But the show’s latest edition was unusually packed with local connections, from Kansas City and around Missouri, starting right with the first scene.
Saturday’s episode began with Dr. Anthony Fauci, played by none other than Brad Pitt of Springfield, Missouri. (We can claim him as our own because, one, it’s the same state, and two, Pitt is a big Chiefs fan.)
Why would they choose Brad Pitt to play the national health expert? Because earlier this month, Fauci joked that Pitt was his pick to play him on “SNL.” Fauci got his wish.
The episode was the second dubbed “SNL at Home,” shot from the performers’ homes because of the coronavirus pandemic. After the opener, the local connections just kept piling up:
Jason Sudeikis: What up with that?
Sudeikis, who grew up in Overland Park, created one of his most memorable recurring characters back in 2009: a curly haired backup dancer in a red tracksuit showing off his crazy moves on Kenan Thompson’s “What Up With That” celebrity show. On Saturday, Thompson reprised the show with new guests Charles Barkley and DJ Khaled, but Sudeikis, as well as a horn-playing Fred Armisen, were superimposed in.
Sudeikis, a Shawnee Mission West grad, once told The Star that the character is a fan favorite.
“The one I hear nice things about often is me silently but enthusiastically dancing on ‘What Up With That.’ It’s great when I get pictures of people dressed up like me for Halloween or dressing up their kids like me.”
Missouri wine
Do we take offense or take pride?
Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon appeared in an ad for Bartenson’s grocery store, urging customers to buy the few products they still have “in absolute abundance”: frozen Hawaiian pizza, a little bag of dry hard beans, mint Pringles … and wine from Missouri.
Sorry, Weston, Hermann and other homes of Missouri wineries. You’re underappreciated.
Heidi Gardner on Molly
As we said, Gardner is versatile. The Notre Dame de Sion high school alum showed up with her fellow buff cast members as slightly deranged SoulCycle trainers. She was Molly, a bit drugged out on Molly, saying, “I’m not going to get COVID-19 ’cause I’m 22. Liberate Michigan! Let’s go!”
In another sketch, she was a murder suspect interrogated over Zoom. And then there was …
Paul Rudd + Heidi Gardner, together apart
Not one, but two Kansas Citians in one sketch!
Paul Rudd, who, like Sudeikis, is a Shawnee Mission West alum, played basically himself, stuck at home and not appearing in any Ant-Man movies anytime soon. He used the opportunity to Facetime his long lost annoying “cousin Mandy” — Gardner at her most wonderfully obnoxious.
“It’s kind of nice taking a bit of a break,” Rudd told her. “I’ve made some fun summer salads.”
Mandy wasn’t impressed, and was happy to bring up the fact that Rudd was up for a Golden Globe this year (for his Netflix show “Living With Yourself”), but Ramy Youssef won (for the Hulu series “Ramy”). Rudd insisted awards don’t really matter.
“It will matter,” cousin Mandy said, “when Ramy Yousseff is the new Ant-Man. When he’s wearing your suit.”
Is it just a coincidence that in real life, Rudd’s sister is named Mandi? Brothers can be such a pain.
Regardless, you can’t hate fictional Mandy too much: Behind her in the Facetime shot was a red plastic Chiefs cup. She must be a fan, just like Gardner and her fellow local celebrities.
This story was originally published April 26, 2020 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Did you see how Kansas City and Missouri took over the latest ‘Saturday Night Live’?."
