Baby J is back on the streets!
John Mulaney celebrated his fifth time hosting NBC's Saturday Night Live on Saturday, Feb. 26, by opening the show with a witty monologue that explored his struggle with drug addiction and the first time that he truly bonded with his 12-week-old son Malcolm.
The moment happened shortly after Mulaney's girlfriend, actress Olivia Munn, had given birth to their son last November. "We're in the delivery room. My girlfriend had just given birth to him and he's crying a little," Mulaney said, setting the scene. "They put him on the warmer under this big bright light. Light is just shining in his eyes."
"He's not crying or anything, he just looks up at the light and this is what he does," the comedian shared, before raising an arm to shield his eyes. "He was annoyed, but he didn't say anything and I was like, 'That's my son!' A polite man in an uncomfortable situation, but he's not gonna make a fuss."
Since the birth of his son, Mulaney added that "life is a lot better and happier now," calling Malcom "a pretty cool guy for someone who can't vote."
He added, "His legs are like little calzones and I want to eat them."
In his monologue, the comedian, who began sharing his experience with addiction on stage last year, also poked fun at the intervention that his close friends—including Late Night host Seth Meyers—held for him in December 2020 that inspired Mulaney to check into rehab the same month.
"When I walked into my intervention, I knew right away that it was an intervention," he explained. "Do you know how bad of a drug problem you have to have if when you open a door and see people gathered, your first thought is, ‘This is probably an intervention about my drug problem?'"
The comedian shared that six of his friends had shown up in person in New York, while six more in Los Angeles appeared over Zoom call. "And I know you might be thinking, ‘Hey, if that was me, I would've been like, if you're so worried about me, how come you didn't fly in?'" Mulaney joked. "Don't worry. I said that several times. I rang that bell as often as possible."
Later on in the episode, the comedian joined SNL's coveted Five-Timers Club and was initiated in a hilarious sketch that featured a host of comedy greats including Conan O'Brien, Paul Rudd, Tina Fey, Steve Martin and more.
Referencing how his fifth time hosting the show was limited due to coronavirus concerns, Rudd shared that Mulaney's celebration was not only about the comedian, but also about him "to a degree as well because, you know, my party was cancelled due to laziness."
Rudd joked, "Not to be a total b--ch, but my Five-Timers show in December was going to be a lot better. That is, until the whole cast decided to call out sick."
In the end, the Anchorman actor had to surrender his Five-Timers Club velvet jacket to Mulaney, adding, "Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!"
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)