Tonight, Justin Timberlake will dive head-first into the Saturday Night Live five-timers club — joining Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, Christopher Walken, Chevy Chase, John Goodman, Tom Hanks, Drew Barrymore, Bill Murray, and Danny DeVito as the most random member of the bunch, since he’s, you know, a musician. But to anyone who has seen his prior hosting stints, his non-comedian status has never stood in his way — Timberlake has arguably been the best host of this last decade. He’s up for anything and everything, including dressing up like an omelette and putting his you-know-what in a box.
So to celebrate what’s sure to be a memorable night, let’s take a trip down memory lane with the 5 best skits from one of SNL’s most surprisingly badass hosts.
1. “D**k in a Box” (2006): Timberlake and Andy Samberg made history with this one, winning a Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. It currently holds more than 38 million YouTube hits, and my Aunt Lee once made the entire family watch it on Christmas. Thanks for the awkward, Aunt Lee!
2. OmletteVille (2003): This is arguably the first JT skit that got everyone talking. “This boy is really talented!” exclaimed my mother, clearly ignoring the six NSYNC concerts I made her take me to. The skit has since been repeated multiple times (Homelessville, Plasticville, Liquorville…) but it’s his original egg-inspired get-up that still warms the heart and soothes the soul.
3. The Barry Gibb Talk Show (Recurring): Timberlake was hosting for the first time when this now-classic sketch debuted. He played the quiet Robin Gibb to Jimmy Fallon’s Barry MotherF**king Gibb, and somehow hilarious history was made. He’s returned to play Robin four times since — three times as host, once when former girlfriend Cameron Diaz took the stage. If it doesn’t show up tonight, we will miss those crazy-cool medallions.
4. Motherlover (2009): After the success of “D**k in a Box”, Timberlake and Samberg re-united to love each others’ moms (played by Susan Sarandon and Patricia Clarkson) for a musical sketch that is now the plot of the upcoming Naomi Watts/Robin Wright film Two Mothers.
5. What’s That Name (2011): This random 2011 sketch pit Timberlake against musical guest Lady Gaga in a name-remembering game show, with disastrous results. Gaga, who is known for being extremely responsive to her fans, knew everyone — while Timberlake could not properly identify former NYSNC-mate Chris Kirkpatrick. Ouch!
BONUS Single Ladies Video (2008): He may not have been hosting (that honor went to Paul Rudd), but the best skit of the night came when Timberlake joined Samberg and Bobby Moynihan as Beyonce Knowles’ “back-up” dancers from the then brand-new “Single Ladies” dance. Hilarity ensued.
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