It seems history will be made this October when one House of the Dragon star becomes the first member of the cast to host one of the most iconic shows on air!
Hot off his breakout role in season 3 of House of the Dragon, James Norton has been tapped to host Saturday Night Live UK this October as one of the first hosts for season 2. Norton will get the chance to show off his comedic chops as the host for the October 17 episode, which will also feature musical guest The Streets.
Surprisingly, Norton will become the first House of the Dragon star to ever host Saturday Night Live, as no other member of the show's ensemble has hosted the beloved sketch comedy, whether it be the US or UK version of the show. (I know, I cannot believe that no version of the show has tapped a member of the House of the Dragon cast to host before, like what are we doing?!) Here’s an even crazier fact: Norton is somehow only the fifth Game of Thrones franchise alum to host a version of Saturday Night Live and only the third to actually host the show in conjunction with their role in the franchise.
The very first Game of Thrones star to host Saturday Night Live was Peter Dinklage, who hosted the show over a decade ago on April 2, 2016, timed to the release of Game of Thrones season 6 that same month. Nearly three years to the date later, Saturday Night Live welcomed Kit Harington to host on April 6, 2019, in support of the final season of Game of Thrones, which arrived less than two weeks after Harington’s hosting debut.
Other than Dinklage and Harington, the only other Game of Thrones alums to host Saturday Night Live are Jason Momoa and Pedro Pascal. Momoa has hosted the show twice, both in promotion of his role as Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe, the first coming in December 2018 ahead of Aquaman’s release and the second in November 2023 ahead of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s release. Meanwhile, Pascal hosted in February 2023 in support of HBO’s The Last of Us and Disney+’s The Mandalorian.
Considering the success and popularity of the Game of Thrones franchise, it’s honestly shocking that only two stars from the franchise have hosted in direct connection with their roles in the franchise and that only four alumni total have hosted through the years prior to Norton being tapped to host Saturday Night Live UK, and we’re thrilled to see that Norton will now add to those totals as the first House of the Dragon alum to host the show.
We definitely know that Norton is up to the challenge, as he delivered some incredible subtle comedic moments during season 3 of House of the Dragon and won over the fans on social media with his many amazing behind-the-scenes videos. There is no doubt that he’s going to give fans several viral sketches during his hosting stint, and we’re definitely hoping the writers will incorporate a House of the Dragon sketch that will allow him to have a bit of fun spoofing the show’s latest season!
Don't miss James Norton's Saturday Night Live UK hosting debut on Saturday, October 17!
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