Top 20 Times Kate McKinnon Broke the SNL Cast

In 2013, President Barack Obama sent a bold message to Russia during the Sochi Winter Olympics, taking aim at its treatment of the LGBTQIA+ community. For the U.S. delegation, he enlisted openly gay tennis icon Billie Jean King—a move that “SNL” just couldn’t resist spoofing. In this “Weekend Update” segment, Kate McKinnon portrays King as a no-nonsense rebel, ready to spread love… and a little gay havoc in defiance of Russia’s laws. McKinnon fires off zingers left and right, playing up every lesbian stereotype imaginable and leaving Seth Meyers giggling pretty much throughout the entire bit.

It’s nearly impossible to keep a straight face when you’re sitting across from one of Kate McKinnon’s many iconic characters. This time, it’s Debette Goldry, the legendary Hollywood actress who somehow turns every conversation into a bizarre nostalgia trip about her traumatic industry experiences. In this sketch, Goldry joins two other actresses to discuss the Harvey Weinstein allegations and recounts her own encounters with the disgraced producer. Despite McKinnon’s outrageous statements, Cecily Strong and Leslie Jones manage to keep it together for most of the sketch. But right at the end, McKinnon questions where she even is, and Jones can’t help but crack up just a little.

Speaking of older actresses recounting their experiences in the industry, back in 2018, veteran French performers Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve criticized the MeToo movement for going too far. That was all the fuel “SNL” stars Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong needed for this “Weekend Update” segment. While Strong as Deneuve starts to walk back some of her comments, McKinnon’s Bardot digs her heels in, even going as far as calling for Harvey Weinstein’s release. The two performers continue to banter, culminating in a hilarious exchange about their ages, which causes Cecily Strong to break character. Can’t say we blame her, Colin Jost was laughing the entire time too.

Kate McKinnon may not be the star in this sketch, but she’s the one who succeeds at cracking up host Daniel Craig. McKinnon plays one half of a couple, alongside Craig, who invites her co-workers over for a game night that quickly spirals out of control. McKinnon herself breaks early on in the sketch, as Heidi Gardner forces everyone to play a “Deep Quote” game that leaves most of them stumped. From there, McKinnon pulls Craig down with her, practically laughing right in his face during their exchange. Nevertheless, Craig manages to get through it, before losing it completely at the very end.

Kate McKinnon has played everything under the sun, from male and female politicians, to an awkward teenage boy in the recurring “Study Buddy” sketches. In this installment, McKinnon’s character, Josh, calls his even more awkward friend for advice on impressing his crush, played by Carey Mulligan, after a study session. Aidy Bryant plays the friend, Jason, and has her own moment when she breaks character, though that’s more thanks to the ridiculous lines than anything else. The real kicker comes when McKinnon locks eyes with Mulligan and starts narrating their every move, causing her composure to completely crumble. Honestly, it’s a miracle she even lasted that long.

The 2020 presidential election was pure chaos, but “SNL” provided some much-needed comic relief, both for the audience and the performers themselves. In this “Weekend Update” bit, Kate McKinnon revives her savage Rudy Giuliani impression to tackle Donald Trump’s claims that the election was stolen. She wasted no time roasting Giuliani’s infamous Four Seasons Total Landscaping fiasco before diving into some questionable ballot theories. Throughout her entire tirade, Michael Che, who must have been grateful he was off-camera, was unable to hold back his laughter. Meanwhile, Colin Jost who had been giggling throughout, finally cracked up loudly when McKinnon showed just how thorough the poll watchers would be during the recount.

Even the most legendary comedians crack under pressure… when they are egged on by Kate McKinnon. This sketch features host Larry David as a cartoonishly rich guy introducing his new wife, who is a big deal in the gay club scene, to his co-workers. David actually nails it for the most part, rattling off gay lingo like a pro, much to the amusement of Kate McKinnon. McKinnon, however, seems to be on a mission to get the others to break, and she ultimately succeeds when she grabs David’s arm and makes him look her in the eye. From then on, he barely holds it together, ending the sketch on a wobbly note.

Some of the funniest “SNL” sketches are those that feel like they were dreamed up during a wild psychedelic trip. This one falls squarely in that category. Kate McKinnon stars as a driver's ed teacher who takes a tumble in front of the class and stubbornly refuses any help getting up. What follows is a bizarrely introspective monologue, accompanied by overly dramatic music, where she rambles on about exceeding everyone’s expectations. As this goes on, you can clearly see Pete Davidson and Aidy Bryant struggling to keep a straight face—and looking just as clueless as the rest of us.

Even though we didn’t get any new songs during her “SNL” hosting debut, Adele still brought her signature charm and unwavering tendency to crack up at the slightest thing. In her first sketch of the night, Adele starred alongside Bowen Yang, Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner as a group of friends visiting a psychic in 2019 to hear what 2020 had in store. As the titular psychic, Kate McKinnon predicts a series of wild events that leave the group of friends horrified. Well, except Adele. While McKinnon reads her palm, Adele ends up staring at her for too long and inevitably falls into her character-breaking trap.

The Adele-hosted “SNL” episode also gave us this sketch that was as funny as it was controversial. The bit aimed to poke fun at sex tourism, with Adele playing one of three divorcees encouraging people to visit “beautiful, beautiful Africa.” Almost as soon as the sketch starts, however, Adele breaks character, and it’s thanks to Kate McKinnon. Once McKinnon realizes that the word “tribesmen” is the singer’s kryptonite, she milks it for all it’s worth, repeatedly mentioning it and pushing her further over the edge. In the end, it just becomes a full-on giggle fest for Adele, who is never able to fully recover until the sketch wraps up.

Kate McKinnon has a knack for out-there impressions of political figures like Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Rather than trying to be as accurate as possible, she instead turns the Supreme Court justice into a wild child. The performer’s version of Ginsburg speaks her mind to the point of making “Weekend Update” host Colin Jost lose it. She also finds time to eat a bunch of Emergen-C powder, taking the segment into the wonderful world of physical comedy. McKinnon’s antics earn her laughter from the audience and her co-stars. Clearly dedicated to the performance, the comedian goes for broke and steals the show with some dancing.

As a creepy bar patron, Kate McKinnon shows that she’s nothing short of a fearless performer. This version of the recurring sketch features a hookup with the equally daring Dave Chappelle. McKinnon and her scene partner push the boundaries of good taste, eventually driving Kenan Thompson to the edge. Their water fountain act breaks up Thompson in a hilarious finale. Given some of the chaotic lines and physical comedy from this skit, it’s incredible that he lasted as long as he did. The writers of this script must have been begging for someone to break with this crazy hookup.

For this scene, Debette Goldry is a spunky actress who explains the hardships of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Alongside younger performers, the character recounts the harassment she endured from men in the olden days. Goldry also has a positivity about her that’s infectious, making her comments sound nonchalant coming from her. McKinnon’s performance still manages to get scene partner Margot Robbie breaking before it’s all over. Robbie clearly holds it together as best she can, but can’t help it after some of her co-star’s funniest lines. It makes for a round table discussion full of surprising revelations and laughs.

Back for a second round, Ryan Gosling joins Cecily Strong and Kate McKinnon once more to describe his communication with aliens. The latter performer cranks up the sketch early with her mannerisms and wild stories. Gosling even becomes McKinnon’s helper, posing as a model for an extra-terrestrial demonstration. The host shakes with laughter as his co-star goes off on a lengthy speech about her encounter. While you might’ve thought this wouldn’t be funny a second time, the skit proves itself with a few inventive changes. It’s clear that the cast is still smitten with McKinnon’s character once more.

Channeling a rural Russian woman, Kate McKinnon disappears into the part of Olya Povlatsky. Her character’s segment about the Sochi Olympics is much more than a sports announcement, delving into Povlatsky’s personal life. This includes horror stories from her country and her interpretation of “laughing.” “Weekend Update” host Seth Meyers tries to keep up and frequently chuckles through the funny routine. McKinnon’s ability to switch emotions on a dime causes her co-star to hold back laughter several times. When asked about her dating life, the character produces more giggles with her attempts to use hip lingo. Meyers clearly shows that he enjoys the exchange as much as the viewers do.

Brought together to talk about acting, the star-studded cast of this sketch tries to have a serious talk. The discussion quickly derails after Kate McKinnon’s Debette Goldry takes over. Her descriptions of Hollywood are wacky and sometimes awful trips down disturbing lanes, making co-stars like Leslie Jones crack up. It’s all so ridiculous and unexpected that you can’t help but laugh at McKinnon’s performance. Seated next to the comedian, Emma Stone really loses it as she listens to Goldry’s explanations. The breaking only makes this entertaining skit all the more hilarious as a result. We don’t blame Stone either because we’d probably be laughing a whole lot more with this kind of script.

Among the more entertaining duos on the show, Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon have a history of making each other laugh on screen. This sketch about an apple farm doesn’t stray from that tradition. The duo comes together to advertise an awful place to find fruit, complete with some details that start to crack them up. McKinnon can barely take it anymore as she crumbles under the hilarious banter. Both her and Bryant eventually regain their composure long enough to finish the funny commercial. With the added benefit of watching two friends laugh, this skit is even better than it initially sounds.

Not every “Weekend Update” segment has to be a Pulitzer-winning piece of writing. This appearance from Kate McKinnon’s character Dr. Wenowdis proves this, providing a hilarious premise with a simple joke and enjoyable voice. The talented performer has a tough time getting through her own skit as she keeps using the same play on words. Breaking the host Colin Jost, McKinnon is having a blast throughout. She also seems to be losing her composure and maybe even her sanity. By the end, the premise comes together like an inside joke that everybody on stage visibly loves.

With some incredibly precise writing, it’s difficult not to cackle at this premise involving a sketchy hotel. An eclectic bunch of staff members run down all of the amenities for guests. Billie Eilish hides her laughter behind a smile as her co-star checks off one absurd item after the other. At one point, the singer breaks because McKinnon decides to nudge her. The latter’s chaotic energy fuels a script that can’t be beaten. Having to stand next to the comedian throughout the skit, Eilish has a front-row seat to laugh along with the audience.

In one of her greatest recurring sketches, Kate McKinnon owns the scene as someone describing an alien encounter. Her co-stars have a hard time listening to her without losing it. While the other survivors have pleasant stories, McKinnon’s character goes off on tangents that get crazier than the next. The lines become so strange and hilarious that most of the cast holds back laughs. As for the host Ryan Gosling, he can barely contain himself during the sketch’s climax. It’s easy to see this skit going down as one of the performer’s best on the show for its contagious laughter.

How well can you keep a straight face? Do you think you’d be able to withstand breaking next to the Kate McKinnon? Let us know in the comments below.