Kenan Thompson is a Saturday Night Live legend, having been on the show for over two decades and becoming the longest serving SNL cast member in the show's history. With that, he's delivered countless hilarious sketches that have become staples of the series' legacy, including “What Up with That,” which remains iconic. While the sketch has been done no less than 12 times, its debut was special due to a famous star being in the audience at the time
For those who are unfamiliar with the “What Up with That” sketch, it sees a kooky host, played by Kenan Thompson, confusing the famous guests on the fictional talk show by continuously singing the theme show and bringing on stage strange and irrelevant characters. Due to its format, the sketch has featured appearances from numerous stars including Robin Williams and Robert De Niro.
The segment was performed for the first time October 17th 2009, when Gerard Butler hosted and James Franco made a special cameo performance. It didn't take long for the strange musical bit to become a success, with the audience embracing the chaotic energy. Amongst these audience members was none other than Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan, who you can see laughing along with the crowd in the front section. See if you can spot her in the clip from X below:
15 years ago. Oct. 17, 2009. It's the debut of What Up With That? See if you can spot future SNL host Saoirse Ronan enjoying the show from the audience. pic.twitter.com/X3owMeJPV9October 17, 2024
At the time, Saoirse Ronan had yet to become a household name, so she wouldn't have been quickly spotted in an SNL audience. However, the actress, who roughly would’ve only been 15 years old in this clip, had already made a name for herself. She’d made a splash in 2007’s Atonement, which earned her an Oscar nomination in 2008 (The movie also remains one of Ronan’s best films. While this can't be said for sure, that could possibly be why the young starlet to surpass the show's age requirement to attend a taping.
The Little Women actress has since gone on to become an even bigger star, with three more Oscar nominations under her belt, all of which she earned before turning 26. Interestingly enough, she'd also eventually serve as a host on SNL in 2017 amid Season 43. While her sketches seemingly haven't had the same shelf-life that “What Up with That” has, she still had a number of viral and notable ones that fans still return to. Notably, the music video sketch “Welcome To Hell” currently has over 16 million views on YouTube and was one of the biggest sketches that season.
Maybe Saoirse Ronan will return to host SNL soon and address her audience participation in the clip from 2009. It’s been years since “What Up with That” was featured on the show, and Kenan Thompson is still a cast member. So maybe this is the perfect way to bring the sketch back. The Lady Bird star made a fantastic host the first time around, and I think it’s time for her to step back into Studio 8H and create what could be a true full circle moment amid a landmark season for the show.
SNL Season 50's host lineup has yet to be announced in its entirety, so we'll have to wait and see if Saoirse Ronan makes the cut. In the meantime, Peacock subscription holders can check out the show this Saturday on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET, at which time Michael Keatonn will host and Billie Eilish will serve as musical guest. Fans of Ronan can also see her in some of the most anticipated movies on the 2024 movie release schedule, including Blitz, which hits theaters on November 1.
