Bryan Cranston Reflects on ‘SNL’ Hosting Gig and Sauce Sketch

New York, NY — Bryan Cranston recently shared humorous insights about his hosting experience on “Saturday Night Live” in 2010 during an appearance on the “Fly on the Wall” podcast with David Spade and Dana Carvey. The 69-year-old actor recounted his enthusiasm to pitch ideas for sketches, only to face quick rejections.

Cranston explained, “I just wanted to do anything. I had a couple pitches for them. I pitched ideas which were almost immediately shut down. I had a great pitch.” He described one particular sketch involving a restaurant called In the Sauce, where patrons are served without menus.

“So, myself and a date and another couple. We can’t believe we got reservations for this restaurant. It’s supposed to be amazing,” Cranston said. He went on to describe a snooty waiter who informs diners, “We don’t give menus. We serve you food. You eat the food. You leave.”

Cranston continued, narrating how the waiter proclaimed, “It’s all about the sauce,” leading to exaggerated food indulgence that humorously climaxed in diners vomiting after overeating. “We dip the barf in the sauce. It’s all about the sauce,” he noted, getting laughs from Spade and Carvey.

Unfortunately for Cranston, the sketch was not well-received at the show’s Monday meeting. “It didn’t get past the Monday meeting,” he said, laughing and adding that his pitch was much longer.

This hosting stint marked Cranston’s only time as host, which took place on October 2, 2010, with Kanye West as the musical guest. Cranston returned to the show in 2016 to appear in a sketch. Reflecting on his nerves before the show, Cranston recalled, “I just took a couple deep breaths… then I heard Don Pardo’s voice going, ‘And host Bryan Cranston!’ That freaked me out and the door opens and out we go. Like shot out of a canon.”