Benedict Cumberbatch Jokes About Will Smith Oscars Drama

Looking back. Looking back. Benedict Cumberbatch’s second stint as the host of Saturday Night Live he couldn’t help but marvel over his career progress — and being in the Dolby Theatre when Will Smith’s Oscars drama went down.

“I am thrilled to be back hosting Saturday Night Live. It’s been a really fun, great week,” the England native, 45, quipped in his Saturday, May 7, monologue. “I’ve got to be honest though because most of the sketch writers this week, they pitched me sketches every day, and most were about Doctor Strange. It’s great. I love the guy. I love playing this character. The film’s doing really well—but I have been in other films.”

The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star joked that others rarely asked him about the other projects he’s worked on, including Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog which earned 12 Academy Award nominations earlier this year.


Benedict Cumberbatch on ‘Saturday Night Live.’
NBC

“I said, ‘Come on, man. I was nominated for an Oscar for that,’” Cumberbatch recalled telling show producer Lorne MichaelsAbout the 2021 film. “I mean, I didn’t win. I was beat by Will Smith. No, not physically!”

While the Bel-Air’s Fresh Prince 53-year-old alum took home the coveted Best Actor In a Leading Role trophy at this year’s 94th Academy Awards. This was after he had an altercation with Chris RockThe show was taken over.

The 57-year old Grown Ups The actor laughed at the broadcast. Jada Pinkett Smith —who wed the Philadelphia native in 1997 — could star in a potential G.I. Jane Due to her shaved hair, this sequel was inevitable. (Pinkett Smith has been candid about her struggles with alopecia and hair loss.) While the Maryland native, 50, subtly rolled her eyes at Rock’s remark, Smith walked on stage and slapped him across his face.

“Keep my wife’s name out your f—king mouth,” the King Richard Star shouted after returning from his seat.

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Chris Rock and Will Smith at Los Angeles’ 94th Annual Academy Awards, March 27, 2022.
Rob Latour/Shutterstock

Rock declined to press charges against Smith, before Smith issued a public apology and resigned as an Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences employee. (Smith was later expelled from Academy events for a period of ten years.

After Cumberbatch remembered losing the honor to Smith, he continued hosting the Mother’s Day show.

“Of course, I want to wish a very happy Mother’s Day to my mum,” the Sherlock Alum sweetly observed on Saturday. “She’s actually on holiday in Greece at the moment and SNL offered to fly her here first-class, and she said, ‘No, I’m on a beach in Greece. Are you insane?’”

He continued: “My wife, Sophie [Hunter], is in the audience tonight, and I’d like to wish her a happy Mother’s Day, too. Hi, Sophie. It’s me, your husband, Little Benedict. I’m constantly in awe of you. You gave birth to our three beautiful boys and that is itself a minor miracle as any woman would tell you, and according to you, I was off dressing up as a wizard though technically it was a sorcerer.”

Cumberbatch — who married Hunter, 44, in February 2015 — hosted the show alongside musical guest Arcade Fire and even enlisted his Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness costar Elizabeth Olsen for a quick cameo. In the “Understudy” sketch, cast member Chloe Fineman attempted to take over the 33-year-old actress’ Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch role for a sketch idea but Olsen herself showed up.

“Oh god, the multiverse is real,” Cumberbatch quipped in the skit.

Saturday Night Live airs on NBC Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET.

You can find out more by watching the video clip above.