Eddie Murphy’s big return to Saturday Night Live did not disappoint!
The comedian took the stage as the show’s host after 35 years, and he acknowledged the unexpectedness of it all in his opening monologue. His only appearance on SNL since his 1984 hosting stint was a cameo in the 40th anniversary special.
“If you told me 30 years ago that I’d be this boring stay-at-home house dad and Bill Cosby would be in jail, even I wouldn’t have took that bet,” Murphy said.
“Who is America’s dad now?” he added, bringing to life his hilarious Cosby impersonation.
And that wasn’t the only classic he brought back throughout the show. Many were reintroduced to characters from his time on SNL like Gumby, Buckwheat and Mr. Robinson.
“It’s good to be here,” said Murphy. “This is the last episode of 2019, but if you’re black, this is the first episode since I left back in 1984.”
Lizzo also took the stage as the musical guest to perform her hits “Truth Hurts” and “Good As Hell.”
But the biggest highlight was in the opening monologue when Murphy was joined by Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, Kenan Thompson and Dave Chappelle.
“Right now you are looking at half of Netflix’s budget right here on stage,” Chappelle joked. Murphy, Rock and Chapelle each received up to eight figures for their Netflix standup specials.
“Thanks, Netflix,” Murphy added.
Watch Murphy’s opening monologue below