Josh O'Connor hosts his first-ever SNL episode as Wake Up Dead Man finds its way to Netflix

Josh O'Connor hosts his first-ever SNL episode as Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery arrives on Netflix, marking a timely intersection between his rising visibility and one of the year’s most anticipated film releases. The episode itself leaned into classic December energy, holiday sketches, political satire, musical surprises, and an audience buzzing for a fresh face in Studio 8H. Instead of dominating the night with a forceful comedic persona, O'Connor slipped into SNL’s ensemble-forward rhythm, allowing the cast’s eccentric characters and the episode’s big swings to take center stage. 

The episode featured a range of sketches that relied far more on supporting players like Bowen Yang, Ashley Padilla, and the night’s musical guest Lily Allen. While O’Connor participated enthusiastically, he was often placed in secondary roles, playing everything from a cardigan-wearing “sensitive stripper” to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in a holiday Actors on Actors spoof, making his presence more subtle than commanding. 

O’Connor makes his Saturday Night Live debut

Instead of treating the latest episode of Saturday Night Live season 51 as a platform for a showy breakout moment, Josh O'Connor settled into the show natural rhythm, supporting the cast as much as he led sketches. His monologue set the tone, dry, self-aware, and charmingly self-deprecating, focusing on the viral fan campaign that insisted he should play Linguini in a live-action Ratatouille. O’Connor joked about Disney publicly denying that such a movie would happen, adding that being rejected for a role he didn’t even want was strangely humbling.

Throughout the night, O’Connor showcased a willingness to look silly, often playing hapless or overly polite characters. In the dating-game parody, he played a soft-spoken contestant outmatched by Ashley Padilla’s chaotic 84-year-old suitor.

In another sketch, he appeared as an incompetent medical intern opposite Bowen Yang’s recurring “Dr. Please,” gamely embracing the pratfalls and awkward pauses that defined the scene. His most memorable moment came during the bachelorette-party sketch, where he and Ben Marshall appeared as cardigan-wearing, hyper-sensitive male strippers who cried during lap dances and asked for emotional consent. Their slow-build absurdity, and eventual onstage kiss, finally gave O’Connor a standout comedic beat.

Even so, many moments in the episode highlighted performers around him. Bowen Yang dominated the night with multiple high-energy characters, while Lily Allen’s performances, especially Madeline, featuring a cameo from Dakota Johnson, became the emotional centerpiece of the show. The result was an episode where O’Connor blended into the comedic fabric rather than towering over it, but his calm, wry presence ultimately fit the tone.

Josh O'Connor’s career explored

Josh O’Connor’s appearance on SNL comes after more than a decade of steady, shape-shifting work across television, film, and theatre. In the early days of his career, Josh began with guest appearances in Doctor Who, Law & Order: UK, The Magnificent Eleven, and London Irish. That same year, he stepped onto the London stage in Beau Willimon’s Farragut North, earning standout notices for his comedic instincts, an early hint of the timing that SNL would later tap into.

On screen, he picked up roles in Hide and Seek, Peaky Blinders, and Ripper Street. O’Connor also joined the ensemble of The Riot Club, appearing alongside a wave of rising British actors.  His breakout arrived in 2017 with Francis Lee’s God’s Own Country, a role that required him to train as a working Yorkshire farmer, birthing more than 150 lambs during preparation. The film premiered to acclaim at Sundance, earning O’Connor a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor, an Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer, and a BAFTA Rising Star nomination. 

Global recognition came when he stepped into the role of Prince Charles in The Crown Seasons 3 and 4. Though initially reluctant to audition, O’Connor later described connecting deeply with the character’s sense of aimlessness. His performance drew universal praise, earning him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award, and SAG ensemble honors. 

Since then, O’Connor has remained a sought-after onscreen presence. He reunited with Francis Lee for an upcoming horror project and continued taking on diverse roles, from the acclaimed tennis drama Challengers to the WWII romance The History of Sound opposite Paul Mescal.

His 2025 slate has been one of his most varied yet, culminating in his role in Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. And with the announcement of his casting in Steven Spielberg’s untitled 2026 film, O’Connor’s momentum appears nowhere near slowing down, making his low-key but charming SNL debut feel like a natural milestone in a career built on patience, versatility, and a steady climb to global stardom.

The latest episode of Saturday Night Live season 51, hosted by Josh O’Connor and musical performance by Lilly Allen, is available to stream on Peacock exclusively.