Pedro Pascal Makes ‘SNL’ Debut Alongside Returning Musical Guest ColdPlay

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Live from New York, it’s Saturday night! Season 48 of Saturday Night Live premiered on Oct. 1, and show runner Lorne Michaels has yet to disappoint with his choice of show hosts and musical guests. This week, Pedro Pascal makes his SNL debut alongside Coldplay, who is returning as musical guest for the seventh time!

Pedro is one of the hottest actors on the Hollywood scene as he stars in two huge TV series: The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. The latter, an adaptation of a popular video game, debuted on HBO in January and is a ratings juggernaut for the cable network. Meanwhile, Chris Martin and his band Coldplay will be performing over the Grammy weekend, which is fitting for the superstar group, who was nominated three times for the 2023 ceremony.

To kick off this season, Top Gun: Maverick actor Miles Teller, 35, hosted the Oct. 1 episode with Kendrick Lamar as the musical guest. “It’s really exciting. You’re working with the absolute best of the best, so you feel well taken care of, but it is, it’s a lot. It’s a whirlwind,” Miles told NBC4 ahead of his big debut.

This season of SNL comes after a handful of cast members announced their departures from the show. Cast members Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, and featured player Aristotle Athari exited after Season 47, along with Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, and Pete Davidson. Chris Redd also confirmed to PEOPLE that he was saying goodbye to the show on Sept. 20.

Learn more about the next Season 48 show below.

Michael B. Jordan Makes ‘SNL’ Debut

Saturday Night Live will welcome the one and only Michael B. Jordan to the stage on Saturday, Jan. 28 for the first time. The actor will be appearing in the sketch series hot off his buzzy films Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, released in 2022, and the highly anticipated Creed III, set for release in March 2023.

Michael vs. Michael pic.twitter.com/Lydsyq21Xg

— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) January 25, 2023

In a promo for the upcoming episode, Michael appeared with SNL cast member Michael Longfellow. Channeling his Creed character, Jordan showed off his impeccable boxing skills by socking Longfellow in the face (not once, but twice), prompting him to say, “Jesus B. Christ!”

Jordan attempted to defend his actions, saying, “I am so sorry — it’s muscle memory.“ Longfellow then hilariously retorted, “I can’t have a broken nose. I was hired for my looks, not my talent” as Jordan agreed, “I know how that feels.”

The Musical Guest For The Episode Is Lil Baby

Lil Baby makes his debut as musical guest on Jan. 28, however, it’s actually his second time performing on the show. The 29-year-old rapper, née Dominique Armani Jones, made his initial debut with DJ Khaled in May 2019 for song “You Stay” alongside Jeremih, Meek Mill, and J Balvin.

Michael!
Lil Baby!
SATURDAY! pic.twitter.com/uBHhTxuIbN

— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) January 26, 2023

The Grammy winner has been building buzz since dropping his 2017 mixtape, followed by his debut album the next year, Harder Than Ever. His track “Yes Indeed” with Drake nabbed him a spot on the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10. More recently, Lil Baby has kept the hits coming with a collaborative album with rapper Lil Durk dubbed The Voice of the Heroes, followed by tracks “Wants and Needs” and “Girls Want Girls” with Drake as well as “Do We Have a Problem?” with Nicki Minaj — all three of which peaked at second place on the Billboard Hot 100.

What Time Is ‘SNL’ On?

Saturday Night Live airs at 11:35 p.m. PST/EST and 9:30 p.m. MT on local NBC affiliates. The series can also be streamed live on the Peacock app.

‘SNL’ Cast Members This Season

Saturday Night Live has a number of new cast members joining the show this season, including Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker.

Michael Che and Colin Jost remain in their roles as “Weekend Update” hosts, which they took over in 2014 from Seth Meyers and Cecily Strong. Other returning cast members include Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, and Heidi Gardner. Rounding out the returning list is Sarah Sherman, Ego Nwodim, Chloe Fineman, Mikey Day, and Punkie Johnson.

As mentioned above, Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, featured player Aristotle Athari, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Pete Davidson, and Chris Redd departed the show ahead of Season 48. Many of these cast members announced their exit in May with some not revealing the news until Sept. 1.

Chris announced the news of his exit from SNL on Sept. 20 with a statement to PEOPLE. “Being a part of SNL has been the experience of a lifetime. Five years ago, I walked into 30 Rock knowing that this was an amazing opportunity for growth,” Chris said. “Now, with friends who have become family and memories I will cherish forever, I’m grateful to Cassie Gill Lorne Michaels and to the entire SNL organization. From the bottom of my heart, I can’t thank you all enough.”

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