Alec Baldwin made a return to Saturday Night Live for the first time since the dismissal of his manslaughter charges related to the “Rust” shooting incident.
The veteran host appeared on the fourth episode of SNL’s 50th anniversary season, taking on the role of Fox’s Brett Baier in the show’s cold open.
As Baldwin’s character appeared on screen, the live audience was unsure whether to applaud or gasp, with his presence eliciting a strong reaction.
The actor played the Fox News personality opposite Maya Rudolph’s portrayal of Vice President Kamala Harris, with Baldwin’s character repeatedly interrupting Harris during the skit.
Baldwin even delivered the iconic line “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!” as part of the cold open, marking his forty-fifth time saying the phrase and solidifying his place in SNL history.
Following the incident on the set of “Rust” in 2021, Baldwin had previously appeared on one episode of the show last season before returning for this recent appearance.
The episode was hosted by Michael Keaton and featured Billie Eilish as the musical guest.
In July, Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter charges were dropped, with the judge criticizing the prosecution for withholding crucial evidence in the case.
The actor had been facing a potential 18-month prison sentence for the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust.”
The incident involved Baldwin firing a real gun that was mistakenly loaded with a live round, resulting in the death of Hutchins and injuries to director Joel Souza.
Baldwin was represented by lawyer Alex Spiro, who is also currently involved in representing Mayor Adams in a federal corruption case.
