You know if I’ve learned anything from Timothée Chalamet and his A Complete Unknown promo, it’s to expect the unexpected. I never thought I’d see the Dune star on College GameDay. I never thought I’d see him show up at a viral lookalike contest for him. And I 100% never even fathomed the notion that he could pull double duty on Saturday Night Live when it returns on the 2025 TV schedule. However, all these things have or are about to happen.
That’s right, this prestigious actor is set to be both the host and musical guest during Saturday Night Live Season 50, and that’s absolutely wild. However, upon further reflection, I think I have a theory about why he’s doing this, and it all comes back to his excellent 2024 movie about Bob Dylan.
Saturday Night Live Announced Their First Two Hosts Of 2025
Now, before we get into the theory about what I think Timothée Chalamet is going to do with his two musical performances, here are the facts about SNL’s big 2025 return.
The iconic sketch show announced the next two hosts for its historic season and the episodes' air dates. Season 50 will kick off 2025 with Dave Chappelle as host and Glorilla as musical guest on January 18. Then, the moment I’ll be waiting for, Timothée Chalamet, will do double duty on January 25.
first shows of 2025! pic.twitter.com/PUunWMXbkYJanuary 10, 2025
So, far, SNL has brought back beloved people who have hosted many times – like John Mulaney, Martin Short and Ariana Grande – along with new hosts – like Paul Mescal and Charli XCX. Both Chappelle and Chalamet have hosted before, and this will mark their fourth and third times leading an episode, respectively.
However, this will notably be the Call Me By Your Name star’s first time as a musical guest, so let’s talk about what’s up with that.
Timothée Chalamet Is Probably Being The Host And Musical Guest Because Of A Complete Unknown
Now, it’s not unusual for musicians to host SNL and take on the role of musical guest too. However, in the show's history, only four non-professional singers have also been musical guests, according to THR. Chalamet's gig will mark the first time it's happened since 1995 when Deion Sanders did both.
However, I think there’s a logical reason why Chalamet is doing this.
As much as I’d love to see his high school rap persona, Lil Timmy Tim, up on that stage rapping about statistics, I actually think there’s a serious and sincere reason behind this crazy choice.
If I were a betting woman, I’d put money on the idea that Timothée Chalamet might get up on that stage to perform two songs by Bob Dylan that are featured in his well-reviewed movie A Complete Unknown. In the film, the actor does all the singing, and he absolutely kills it as Dylan.
He gives a performance that is spot on without being a kitschy impersonation and his singing is on point. Therefore, the Oscar nominee has what it takes to perform these tunes live on SNL. Plus, with the award season in full swing and the film still in theaters, this is a fantastic way to keep the hype alive, because it’s so unexpected.
However, it’s always possible that Chalamet has something totally different up his sleeve, as I said, we need to learn to expect the unexpected from him. Although, I have a feeling no matter what he does, it will be very worth watching.
So, you can tune into his episode of Saturday Night Live on January 25 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC or with a Peacock subscription.
