Amy Poehler is returning to host Saturday Night Live for the first time in a decade this weekend, and she admittedly has no idea who any of the freshman cast members are!
In a new promo video for Saturday night’s episode released Wednesday, the Good Hang podcast host comes face to face with featured players Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska. Instead of initially admitting she doesn’t know them, Poehler plays it off and plays it off as if she’s old friends with each of the cast members.
“Uh oh, here comes trouble. Don’t hit me!” she jokingly said to Slowikowska, who went on to introduce herself to Poehler. “I know who you are. You are always sticking it to the man, giving him hell.”
“It’s my second week,” Slowikowska replied dumbfounded, before the Emmy winner went on to joke that she remembered Patterson from “when we used to tear it up back in 2005” and Culhane as “the old slow burn.”
“You have no idea who we are, do you?” Culhane replied, prompting her to admit, “I don’t. No, I’m sorry. I thought I was coming into this building to get a mammogram, and it turns out I’m hosting. Oopsie! So, I’m very nervous. And when I’m nervous, I make things up and I get face blindness and I point my fingers around a lot.”
Culhane, Patterson and Slowikowska are three of five new additions to the SNL cast after the series underwent a cast exodus this summer. Ben Marshall and Tommy Brennan additionally joined season 51 as featured players while Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Emil Wakim and Devon Walker exited the series.
Poehler has made quite a few SNL appearances over the years since she left the late night series in 2008. Saturday night’s show, however, will mark her third time serving as host and she will be joined by musical guest Role Model.
The Parks and Recreation star follows Bad Bunny who led the show last week, where he addressed backlash to him being named the headlining act of the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
The full slate of host and musical guests for SNL season 51 has not yet been revealed, though Sabrina Carpenter will serve both roles on Oct. 18’s show.
