Returning to the hallowed Studio 8H stage as host, comedy powerhouse Amy Poehler launched into a masterclass of witty banter during her Saturday Night Live opening monologue this weekend. The veteran comedian, who served as a cast member for nearly a decade, immediately proved she was right at home.
Poehler swiftly turned her razor-sharp comedic aim towards her 'The Day We Met' co-star, Benedict Cumberbatch. "I play his wife in the movie," she announced to the audience, before deadpanning, "And yes, that is his real name. I asked his parents. They said, ‘We knew he would be a famous actor, so we gave him a name no one could forget... or pronounce.’"
The jokes didn't stop there. She quipped that working with him required extra preparation, jesting, "I had to learn how to say ‘Benedict Cumberbatch’ while also crying and driving a car." She even suggested his name sounded less like a person and more like "the sound you make when you’re trying to start a lawnmower."
But Cumberbatch wasn't her only target. Poehler also shared a hilarious anecdote about another esteemed British colleague, the Oscar-winning Olivia Colman. She revealed a charmingly awkward moment from set, confessing, "I once tried to give Olivia Colman a compliment and I said, ‘I just love you in *The Crown*... and *The Fleabag*.’" Poehler then mimicked Colman’s polite but pained response: "She just smiled and said, ‘Thank you, darling. One of those is correct.’"
Poehler’s hosting gig also featured a standout sketch alongside Theo James, who made a surprise appearance as a ridiculously handsome, yet utterly dim-witted, meteorologist. The episode was widely praised by critics and fans alike, cementing her triumphant return to the SNL stage.
