It seems like only last week that Alec Baldwin was gracing the Saturday Night Live stage with his presence. Oh, wait — that’s because it was last week. The Emmy-winning actor — not to mention the show’s current Donald Trump impersonator — slyly acknowledges his regular appearances on the venerable NBC sketch series in the promo for his 17th stint as host.
The teaser for his Saturday, February 11, episode features Baldwin, 58, wistfully strolling through Studio 8H and using voiceover to narrate his supposed trip down memory lane.
“This was my home, this was my heartbeat,” the Match Game host says about the show. “It feels like so many lifetimes ago. I thought I had said goodbye, but the pull of fate is undeniable. So I must return, I must find the strength to …”
Suddenly, the 30 Rock alum is yanked out of his emotional moment when cast member Vanessa Bayer interrupts his inner monologue. “Alec, you were just here, like, yesterday,” she reminds him. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
Indeed, Baldwin has taken part in most of season 42’s cold opens, offering his bombastic, headlines-generating (not to mention tweet-generating) version of Trump. The actor set the record for most times as host in September 2011 with his 16th time holding the gig, breaking a tie with fellow SNL mainstay Steve Martin. Ed Sheeran is the musical guest for the February 11 episode.
Watch the clip above to see how Baldwin responds to Bayer’s dose of reality. SNL airs on NBC Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET.
