Dakota Johnson, the star of Fifty Shades of Grey and Madame Web, hosted Saturday Night Live for the second time on January 27, 2024. She was joined by Justin Timberlake, the musical guest, who made a cameo appearance in her opening monologue. The two actors had a mini-reunion on the show, as they had previously co-starred in the 2010 film The Social Network.
A surprise guest Dakota Johnson and a flashback
Dakota Johnson, 34, started her monologue by saying she was happy to be back on SNL and had been in the audience for the show’s 40th anniversary special in 2015. She then showed a photo of herself surrounded by celebrities, such as Sarah Palin, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Donald Trump.
She then pointed out that she was standing very close to someone who would become the most powerful person in America, and the camera zoomed in on Taylor Swift, who was sitting in front of her. The audience cheered and applauded the pop star, who had recently announced her candidacy for the 2024 presidential election.
Dakota Johnson said that the night was also a reunion for her and Timberlake, who had been in a movie called The Social Network. She explained that the film was about the creation of Facebook and that Timberlake played Sean Parker, the founder of Napster and the former president of Facebook. She added that she played a Stanford student who slept with Parker and introduced him to Facebook.
She then showed a clip from the film, where Timberlake’s character wakes up in bed with Johnson’s character, and learns about Facebook from her laptop. She said the scene was shot in one day and was her first adult role.
At that moment, Timberlake, 42, appeared on stage and greeted Dakota Johnson. He said that he heard his name and thought it was his cue. He then joked that he was there to help with any sketches and had hosted the show five times before.
Dakota Johnson then reminded him that it was 10 years ago and that he was there to perform as the musical guest. She then said she was happy that he chose her show for his comeback, and he looked confused. She clarified that she meant it well, then joked about his song “SexyBack”.
They then hugged and wished each other good luck, and Timberlake was about to leave the stage when another surprise guest showed up. It was Jimmy Fallon, dressed as Barry Gibb from The Bee Gees. He asked if they were doing a sketch, and Timberlake told him it was cancelled. Fallon then said he was there to say “break a leg” and wore normal clothes. He then ran off the stage with Timberlake.
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A successful night and a nostalgic film
Dakota Johnson and Timberlake had a successful night on SNL, receiving positive performance reviews. Johnson starred in several sketches, such as a parody of The Bachelor, a spoof of Madame Web, and a musical number about being a bad girl. Timberlake performed two songs from his new album, “Can’t Stop the Feeling” and “Say Something”.
The Social Network, directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, was a critically acclaimed film that won three Oscars and four Golden Globes. It starred Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, and Armie Hammer as the Winklevoss twins. The film’s screenplay, direction, acting, and soundtrack were praised.
Dakota Johnson and Timberlake had minor roles in the film, but they made an impression on the audience and the critics. Dakota Johnson said she was nervous to work with Fincher and Sorkin and starstruck by Timberlake. Timberlake said that he was impressed by Johnson’s talent and beauty and enjoyed working with her.
The two actors have remained friends over the years, and have supported each other’s careers. They have also appeared in films such as How to Be Single, Bad Teacher, and Trolls. They have also been involved in other projects, such as Dakota Johnson’s activism for women’s rights and mental health, and Timberlake’s fashion line and golf course.
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