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Casey Affleck Reps Boston In <em>Saturday Night Live</em>
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 18, 2016
Modified Dec 18, 2016
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By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 18, 2016
Modified Dec 18, 2016
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Casey Affleck, Ben Affleck's seemingly Oscars-bound younger brother and star of Manchester by the Sea hosted Saturday Night Live last night. He played a breakdancing Jesus, a naughty elf, a Boston Dunkin' Donuts fan and a comic nativity scene play actor in the show's Christmas episode.
After the Trumpy cold open, Affleck acknowledged his movie is "an incredibly depressing picture... it's really a downer." He then got an assist from Alec Baldwin and John Goodman, who reassured him he didn't need to sing to host SNL, and then Black Santa (Kenan Thompson) appeared to show him a little holiday magic. (And, no, the show didn't reference the sexual harassment allegationsAffleck later settled out of court.)
The best sketches of the night were two taped segments: The first was a look at the real customers of Dunkin' Donuts, which featured the usual camera-ready types and then Affleck's scruffy Boston native. The other was Kate McKinnon reprising her Hillary Clinton character, with a plea to an elector, in a send-up of Love Actually's creepy stalker subplot.
Hillary Clinton still hasn't given up. #SNL pic.twitter.com/0OtUtwGf7n
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) December 18, 2016
Chance the Rapper returned to the show, performing "Same Drugs" and "All Night." He also appeared in the fun "Jingle Barack" rap and a skit about a "hilarious" nativity play. Former cast member Fred Armisen also appeared, helping out in a "Microsoft Robot" sketch and then heading to "Weekend Update" to talk Putin.
Recurring sketches included the alien abduction encounters, with Kate McKinnon's hapless Colleen Rafferty and the naughty elves bit, with Kenan Thompson and Vanessa Bayer.
Saturday Night Live returns on January 14, with Felicity Jones as host and musical guest Sturgill Simpson.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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