The Rock officially joins the SNL Five-Timers Club
By Jeremy Dick
For his fifth time hosting Saturday Night Live, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was officially inducted into the Five-Timers Club by Tom Hanks and Alec Baldwin.
If you’re not familiar with the Five-Timers Club, I’ll explain it in a nutshell. The term first came about in the early 90s, coined by Tom Hanks after hosting Saturday Night Live for five times. Over the years, other celebrities have been “inducted” into this club after hitting the fifth tally mark.
Just last week, the wonderful Melissa McCarthy just joined the Five-Timers Club. Member Steve Martin surprised her on the stage with her very own club jacket, embroidered with large 5. But interestingly enough, last night saw another deserving member coming into the fold.
On the season finale of SNL, Dwayne Johnson (whom I still can’t help but refer to as The Rock) hosted the show again. As you’ve already surmised, this was his fifth time doing so, now making him a member of the club. And his induction was made official on the show last night.
During his opening monologue, Johnson mentions hosting the show five times, but says he doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it. “And yet, we must,” Alec Baldwin says, stepping onto the stage in his Five-Timers Club jacket. “Oh hey Alec, weren’t you just in the cold open?” Johnson jokes.
After chatting for a minute, another member of the club surprises Johnson on stage: Tom Hanks! The legendary actor steps out in his Five-Timers Club jacket as well. After a semi-serious rant on politics, Johnson and Hanks “reveal” that they’re gunning for the White House in 2020.
You can watch the video below.
Next: SNL says goodbye to Vanessa Bayer and Bobby Moynihan
Whether he’s wrestling, acting, or doing sketch comedy on a live TV series, the Rock excels at everything he does. Here’s to five more shows hosted by the Great One.