Oscar nominee Josh Brolin made no qualms about stepping away from his more serious acting roles (Men in Black 3 not withstanding) to do something "stupid" on Saturday Night Live.
Sporting a "stylish goatee" from his new job as "official spokesman of the '90s," Brolin kicked off his monologue, saying, "It is so great to be back hosting Saturday Night Live. For me as an actor this is the just the most exciting challenge in the world. I've been in so many serious movies like No Country For Old Men and True Grit, it's just refreshing to come here and be stupid. Like really stupid. Like career-endingly stupid."
And while there was no Men in Black 3 skit on the show (the award-winning thesp stars as a young Tommy Lee Jones in the flick), Brolin did make sure to plug the sci-fi flick, with Jay Pharaoh joining him on stage to do his spot-on impression of Will Smith, while Brolin muttered Agent Kay's signature "Alright."
But, the two-time SNL host wasn't the only one ready to dumb down for late night.
Steven Spielberg was also on hand, pitching his new flick Laser Cats 7 to SNL creator Lorne Michaels in "Digital Short" (yes, the real Steven Spielberg).
In the skit, Brolin plays an evil space villain, trying to destroy Andy Samberg's E.A.T. (Extra Awesome Terrestrial) with a team of laser-shooting cats. Spielberg even gets in on the action with a "Hitchcockian-style" cameo in the faux sci-fi movie, shooting lasers at Samberg and his villain-fighting compadre Bill Hader.
"I went with the original ending from Close Encounters so all the haters would know I didn't go soft!" Spielberg says after Michaels admits he's unimpressed by the film.
In "The Californians," Kristen Wiig and Hader had a bad case of the giggles, almost bursting into laughter as Fred Armisen gave his best impression of a soap star husband with a thick "Valley" accent who finds his wife (Wiig) kissing another man (Hader) in their home. During the skit spoofing overdramatic soap acting, everyone gives detailed directions on how they made it around town and speaks in exaggerated, stereotypical Californian accents. Brolin plays a doctor in this sketch, and does the same.
In a spoof of CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight, Piers Morgan (Taran Killam) takes a look at the Trayvon Martin case. Considering the nature of the story, it didn't seem like the best topic for comedic fodder, but the show somehow managed to keep the skit lighthearted by making fun of the guests Morgan has had on his show to discuss the case.
For example, "Legal Expert" Ice-T (Armisen) was on hand to share his opinion since he stars on Law and Order SVU. And Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillén (Brolin), who was recently bashed for praising Fidel Castro, had nothing of value to offer, but instead shared more of his inappropriate sentiments, this time regarding Jews.
Kanye West (Pharoah) and Kim Kardashian (Nasim Pedrad) were also in the mix to give their opinion…and because they haven't confirmed whether they are an actual couple, Pharoah and Pedrad made sure to do it for them.
"It took far too long fam. How do you take 46 days to arrest somebody," West said, with Kardashian following, "I know 46 days, that's like half a marriage."
Morgan went on to ask the duo if their relationship was "for real," with West replying "It's real fam," and Kardashian interrupting with, "It's a stunt."
Brolin went on to play a nutty chemistry teacher walking through a magical slow-motion high school hallway in "Stacy and Brett," a drunken teacher who reveals he had an affair with a student in "Booker T. Washington High Prom" and a rapping and dancing UPS employee in "America's Next Top Empire State of Mind Artist."
But Brolin was absent from one of the most hilarious skits of the evening, "Behind the Scenes of Game of Thrones."
The skit explains why there is so much nudity and sex on the show by revealing they have a 13-year-old boob-obsessed consultant (Samberg).
Indie rocker Gotye was the musical performer of the night, singing "Somebody That I Used to Know" while playing the keyboard, and then performing "Eyes Wide Open," while playing the drums.
Samberg and Murphy later poked fun at the Australian singer-songwriter's "Somebody That I Used to Know" music video in another "Digital Short," dressing up in body paint and popping up in creepy fashion around Gotye while he was laying low in his dressing room.
So, tell us, what did you think of Brolin's second go-round as an SNL host? Sound off in the comments.