John Goodman, known for his remarkable work as a character actor, has admitted that his most recent appearance on Saturday Night Live is the one he regrets the most. Reflecting on John Goodman’s most regretted Saturday Night Live appearance, he described the experience as emotionally challenging and confessed it left him questioning his future with the show.
John Goodman’s History With SNL and What Made This Time Different
Since debuting on Saturday Night Live in December 1989, John Goodman built a reputation as one of the show’s most frequent and reliable hosts. Only Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin have led the late-night sketch show more times than Goodman, whose tally sits at 13 hosting gigs. While his previous appearances often delivered steady laughs and memorable moments, a significant gap separated his twelfth and thirteenth turns, with just one hosting gig since 2001.
Goodman’s return came on December 4, 2013, in the ninth episode of the 39th season. The episode featured major celebrities like Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone, who made cameo appearances to promote their boxing film, while Kings of Leon provided the musical entertainment. However, for Goodman, the episode marked a turning point in his career.
Feeling the Effects of Time and Unmet Expectations
Before stepping back onto the SNL stage after more than a decade, Goodman found himself battling nerves and uncertainty about whether he could still deliver. The actor described his struggle with the pressures of performance and the weight of expectation.
“The last time I hosted, I felt every week of 62 years old,”
—John Goodman, Actor
He openly admitted that the lengthy absence had left him feeling rusty and ill-prepared to match the energy of his earlier shows. As he revealed in a conversation with Howard Stern, he realized he was not bringing his best to the table.
“I didn’t bring much to the party,”
—John Goodman, Actor
Goodman went on to share just how much the night weighed on him, describing an overwhelming sense of disappointment as he struggled to maintain his energy throughout the show.
“It’s the first time I felt I let them down. I ran out of gas between the dress rehearsal and the actual show. I had a bottle of 5-Hour Energy drink, but I didn’t want to take it. I should have.”
—John Goodman, Actor
Personal Consequences and the Challenge of Legacy
The night was meant to be a celebratory comeback for Goodman, but the experience left him reeling. He was not harshly criticized by the public or press for his performance, but internally, he struggled with the realization that time might finally be catching up with him. In the annals of SNL, Goodman hardly counts among the oldest hosts — Betty White, Miskel Spillman, and Ruth Gordon all hosted well into their eighties, while Steve Martin, Michael Keaton, and Larry David have each shown that age need not be a barrier to success on the SNL stage.
Yet, despite these examples, this appearance carried a unique sting for Goodman, who believed he failed to meet his own standards. Friends, colleagues, and SNL’s longtime mastermind, Lorne Michaels, may not have questioned his abilities, but Goodman’s own self-doubt was difficult to shake.
The Uncertainty of Another Return
The impact of that night has lingered for Goodman, whose confidence took a significant blow. The question of whether a fourteenth hosting appearance will ever happen now lingers. While anyone familiar with his legacy as a veteran actor knows Goodman is always capable of a strong performance, the disappointment from this one evening remains with him. For now, the answer lies in the future, dependent on whether Goodman can reconcile the past with his desire to return to the legendary SNL stage.
