Saturday Night Live Star Dan Aykroyd Addresses SNL 50 Absence

Original Saturday Night Live star Dan Aykroyd has addressed his notable absence from the star-studded SNL 50 anniversary event on Sunday, February 16.

“Advantage of not attending – got to see every second of concert and show on TV,” Aykroyd, 72, wrote via X on Wednesday, February 19.

The former Not Ready for Prime Time Player was perhaps the most notable absence during Sunday’s NBC show, as his living costars Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman were all in attendance for the anniversary celebration. Aykroyd did not clarify why he’d missed SNL 50 in his X Post, though he did offer a toast to the “triumphant SNL 50th.”

“Quote from my children: ‘Look at daddy’s smile!’ Had it from start to finish. Congratulations Lorne [Michaels]. Well done as usual,” he wrote.

Aykroyd’s representative confirmed to Puck News last week that the former ‘Weekend Update’ coanchor and Blues Brothers star wouldn’t ‘be there” for SNL 50 at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Bill Hader, Dana Carvey, Robert Downey Jr. and Joan Cusack were among other notable former cast members missing from the show.

The Canadian comedy legend took part in the promotion of SNL 50 by doing an interview with NPR’s Fresh Air about the creation of the Blues Brothers. He also posted via X numerous times about potential comedy pairings at SNL 50 in the days leading up to the event.

“Cracking a Head with pride at having been a co-founder of SNL along with everyone we were together with in those four years, five decades ago,” he wrote on Friday, February 14. ” This telecast is as historical as the next moon landing. Comedy stars of our age all gathered under the aegis of America’s greatest living impresario, my boss Lorne Michaels. People it’s friggin’ Holy!!”

Aykroyd was featured in numerous retrospective clips during SNL 50, whereas a few other original cast members appeared in new segments. Newman starred in a pre-taped sketch with Pete Davidson‘s recurring character Chad, as she reminisced about her time in Studio 8H in the 1970s.

Garrett Morris received a standing ovation when he introduced the 1978 short film Don’t Look Back in Anger, in which an elderly John Belushi visited the graves of his costars. The film was especially poignant because Belushi was the first original SNL star to pass away at age 33 in March 1982.

Bill Murray, who replaced Chase in Saturday Night Live‘s cast in season 2, appeared during ‘Weekend Update’ to rank all of the segment’s former anchors in tongue-in-cheek fashion. Another touching moment occurred during the closing credits when Curtin and Newman held up a picture of their late cast mate Gilda Radner, who died from ovarian cancer in 1989.

The celebratory TV special featured countless memorable moments for SNL fans, including Jack Nicholson making a rare public appearance to introduce a song from Adam Sandler. Ryan Reynolds poked fun at the ongoing legal battle between his wife Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni.

During an audience Q&A segment with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Reynolds was asked how he was doing. “[I’m doing] great. Why, what have you heard?” Reynolds joked in response. Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman has since criticized Reynolds for making light of their legal battle.

Saturday Night Live returns live March 1 at 11.30p.m. ET on NBC with guest host Shane Gillis and musical guest Tate McRae.