One of the most talked about films of the year, especially around these parts, Suicide Squad continues to have a hold on pop culture on the way to its eventual Blu-ray release (and eventual sequels and spinoffs and whatnot). And as you might expect, one of the most topical shows on TV will be taking advantage, with Saturday Night Live tapping actress Margot Robbie to add her beguiling charms as the host of the Season 42 premiere.
Harley Quinn herself will make her live sketch series debut when Margot Robbie hits the stage as host of SNL's next season opener, and I'm betting the ratings will be pretty huge. Since her leap to the limelight here in the U.S. with Wolf of Wall Street, the Australian actress has become a mainstay celeb, and one with a warmth and intelligence that makes her largely beloved by everyone. We haven't really seen much from her by way of goofball comedy, and if her Saturday Night Live debut goes swimmingly, that could lead to more comedy projects in the future. (And if she wants to stick around the small screen for something, that works for us, too.)
Getting to host a season premiere of Saturday Night Live is a pretty big deal, considering the kind of talent that landed the gig in the past. Sometimes its celebrated alumni like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, or unstoppable athletes like Michael Phelps and LeBron James, or big screen superstars like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. And, in 2006, Dane Cook. No matter how many times I check, it's still Dane Cook's name there. Anyway, Robbie has some big shoes to fill, and I bet she's going to tap dance her way through them with ease.
Margot Robbie is no stranger to the small screen, after all. That's where her career started back in 2008, when she landed the role of Donna on the Australian soap opera Neighbors, a part that was meant to just be a guest spot but was expanded after her performance. After moving to the States, she was a regular on the short-lived drama Pan Am and then focused on more features such as About Time, Focus and this year's The Legend of Tarzan, among the other projects that didn't star Jared Leto's Joker.
Making his second appearance as the musical guest for the Season 42 premiere will be the R&B hitmaker The Weeknd. Coincidentally, this announcement coincides with the release of The Weeknd's new single "Starboy," the title track from his upcoming album, so you can bet that's at least one song he'll be performing. He was first on SNL back in 2015 for Amy Schumer's episode, and he also appeared as a musical guest's guest when he performed the track "Low Life" alongside rapper Future earlier this year for Jonah Hill's episode.
Saturday Night Live went through some big cast shake-ups this summer. Regulars Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah are out, as well as the one-and-done player Jon Rudnitsky. Mikey Day was soon added as a featured player, soon joined by Alex Moffat and Melissa Villaseñor. Here's hoping things stay smoothly from here on out.
SNL will make its return to NBC for Season 42 on Saturday, October 1. To see when all of your favorite shows are coming back, grab a baseball bat and a collar and head to our fall premiere schedule.
