4 reasons Barry Keoghan needs to make a surprise appearance on SNL this weekend
Saturday Night Live is back this weekend! The award-winning live sketch show went on a break for the holidays but now is returning with a super star-studded episode. On Saturday, Jan. 20, BAFTA Award nominee Jacob Elordi will take the stage to serve as host, with Mean Girls star and musician Reneé Rapp performing as the musical guest. This has all the makings of a highly viewed show, and we know episodes of SNL are much more talked about when they have surprise special guests. So who could make an appearance this weekend? We have one person in mind!
Given that Elordi just co-starred in the divisive dark comedy Saltburn alongside Academy Award nominee Barry Keoghan in 2023, we're crossing our fingers that the Irish actor shows up during SNL! And it's not just the fact that he's worked with Elordi that makes us desperate to see it happen. We're breaking down the four biggest reasons NBC should invite Keoghan to the SNL stage right here.
1. Keoghan and Elordi are hilarious together
If you paid any attention to the Saltburn press tour, you'll know Elordi and Keoghan have a ton of chemistry. Fans of the two actors blushed over their very blatant flirting and viral moments. Even if you didn't watch the movie, there's no way you missed the hilarious memes of the two, which poked fun at their height difference. At 6'5, Elordi is extremely tall, especially next to Keoghan who is reportedly 5'8.
There's no doubt a sketch between Elordi and Keoghan, even if it's brief, would be totally charming and funny. I'd watch any interview between them (and I think I've seen them all!). They bring out great qualities in each other and need to be onscreen together again.
"We were constantly close," Keoghan told GQ of his relationship with Elordi. “It ain’t just for the cameras and the premiere[s]. Me and Jacob—he’s like a brother to me, honestly."
2. Keoghan's got a great sense of humor
Known for his dramatic roles, you might not know that Keoghan is actually very funny in real life. Sure, he's creeped us out playing characters like Martin in The Killing of a Sacred Deer and the Joker in The Batman, but during interviews, you can tell he's very lighthearted and easygoing. He's quick to make jokes and laugh at himself while speaking to the media.
Keoghan has appeared in dark comedies, such as Saltburn and The Banshees of Inisherin, but he's never really played a straight-up comedic character. There's no doubt in my mind that he'd crush it, though! He'd be great for comedy because he's up for trying just about anything in front of the camera if it moves the plot along — and yes, that includes getting nude.
I'm unsure if Keoghan is looking for a comedic movie role anytime soon but perhaps a cameo on SNL could warm him up to the idea!
3. A Saltburn skit is inevitable
Saltburn was one of the most talked about movies of 2023 and if Saturday Night Live doesn't do a sketch around the movie, it would be such a lost opportunity. At this point, even my mom knows all about the film from viral posts on social media! TikTok has been full of reactions to the bathtub scene and lip-syncing to "Murder on the Dance Floor," the last song of the movie.
Elordi and Keoghan have a few very memorable — and very NSFW — moments in Saltburn, and bringing Keoghan out during SNL this weekend would make for an awesome skit. During awards season, Keoghan has also been poked fun at for being...ahem...well endowed, something viewers learned from watching Saltburn.
Not only did Jo Koy make a comment about Keoghan's penis during the Golden Globes, but Chelsea Handler did as well while hosting the Critics Choice Awards. At this point, Saltburn is too viral of a moment for SNL to ignore.
4. He's all over the news
Apart from his starring role in Saltburn alongside Elordi, Keoghan is just everywhere at the moment. And he's been on the rise for a while. He was nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Critics Choice Award, SAG Award, and Golden Globe for his supporting role in the 2022 film The Banshees of Inisherin, and his role in Saltburn has earned him a Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nomination.
The past few years have been major for Keoghan, and 2024 looks to be another big one. Next up, he'll co-star in the Apple TV+ miniseries Masters of the Air alongside Austin Butler and Callum Turner, premiering on Jan. 26, 2024, and he's also reportedly in the early stages of a highly publicized relationship. If the reports are true, Keoghan has gone out on at least two dates with Sabrina Carpenter, and fans are all about their budding romance.
Keoghan is a super talented and charismatic actor who isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Hopefully one day, Keoghan will host Saturday Night Live himself — he's earned it! — but until then, we'll take a surprise cameo this weekend. Come on, NBC! Make it happen! To tune in, be sure to watch SNL this Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024 at 11:30 p.m. ET on either NBC or Peacock.