Peter Dinklage to Host Saturday Night Live

The Game of Thrones promotional machine just scored a major coup. This weekend, the seminal Saturday Night Live announced that come April 2nd, Peter Dinkalge will host the program. This is the first time any cast member of Game of Thrones will fill the host slot.

This will be Dinklage’s first turn as host, but his second appearance on the late night sketch program in his career. He previously did a cameo shot in a sketch as “Peter Drunklage” back in 2013 along with the regular character “Drunk Uncle.”

The show has made references to the show over the five year’s it’s been on the air, including another Weekend Update sketch last year, where Bobby Moynihan and Vanessa Bayer played “hottest couple in Westeros, Sam and Gilly.” Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays Jaime, also made a cameo appearance on the late night program in another Game of Thrones sketch back in 2013. But both of those notable moments came after the Game of Thrones season was already airing, not as part of the promotional lead up to the premiere.

No word on the sorts of sketches we will be seeing, but we can guess that there will be at least one major sketch involving whether or not Jon Snow is dead. Also, I would not be surprised if SNL’s penchant for Presidental Election themed sketches would also lead to Dinklage finding himself involved with their regularly schedule Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton, and recurring guests Darrell Hammond as Donald Trump and Larry David’s dead on Bernie Sanders impersonation.

Joining Dinklage on April 2nd as the musical guest will be Gwen Stefani, who we should hope plans to thank The Voice and Blake Shelton profusely for her career revival.