Will Ferrell’s SNL opening monologue was hijacked by his doppelgänger, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith – watch below.
The comic actor and Saturday Night Live legend was hosting the show for the sixth time last night (May 16), with Paul McCartney serving as the musical guest. It was the finale of the show’s 51st season, but as it kicked off, viewers were momentarily left perplexed.
As Ferrell was introduced and the audience cheered, it was actually Smith that appeared on the stage to welcome viewers. Within seconds, Ferrell appeared from behind Smith, dressed exactly the same, asking, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
“I think I’m hosting the show,” Smith replied.
“You’re not the host, I am!” Ferrell quipped back. “You’re Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.” The two have long been noted to look extremely alike, and the sketch played out with Smith eventually ceding the stage to Ferrell, who struggled to carry on as if nothing had happened.
Later in the monologue, McCartney got in on the act, pretending to still mistake Ferrell for Smith, before Ferrell quoted a long list of McCartney’s greatest songs, but bemoaning the fact that he did not write ‘The Alphabet Song’ or “all the Smash Mouth stuff”.
Later in the show, Smith was on drums for McCartney’s performance, playing new song ‘Days We Left Behind’, from the upcoming album ‘The Boys Of Dungeon Lane’, as well as Wings’ ‘Band On The Run’ and the solo hit ‘Coming Up’.
Ferrell and Smith have been making light of their uncanny similarity since 2014, when the comic accepted a challenge to a drum battle set, which eventually went down on The Tonight Show. Ferrell was declared the winner after bringing out a cowbell and playing along to Blue Oyster Cult’s ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’, and they raised nearly $500,000 for charity.
At a charity concert later that year, they teamed up again, alongside members of Pearl Jam and Guns N’ Roses, for a version of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Honky Tonk Women’.
In 2017, Smith jokingly stormed off stage in Los Angeles after a heckler shouted Ferrell’s name at him. “Listen, are you a musician? You’re a drummer? Why did you say that? Because you love me”, Smith told the fan. “You love me and go ‘oh Will Ferrell!” I’m not Will Ferrell, you idiot”
He added: “Nah I’m just fucking with you. I don’t give a shit, I think it’s great! I’m fucking famous because of Will Ferrell. Fuck that guy, right!”
Elsewhere, Ferrell made an appearance during Sabrina Carpenter’s first Coachella headline set this year, as part of her tribute to Hollywood.