The Saturday Night Live UK cast tread carefully—perhaps with good reason?—around host Riz Ahmed in a new promo for the sketch comedy series’ April 4 episode.
In the video above, SNL UK cast member George Fouracres admits to being nervous about meeting the show’s next host, based on talk of Ahmed being “proper intense.” Castmate Ayoade Bamgboye posits that Ahmed only plays intense characters—such as in Sound of Metal (as a drummer losing his hearing), Nightcrawler (as a homeless man who documents gruesome street crime), and TV’s The Night Of (as a murder suspect).
Sure enough, once the duo rap on the host’s dressing room door, they are greeted by an Ahmed awash with the sunniest of dispositions, listening to bright music and congenially offering up sweeties.
Fouracres confesses his presumption about Ahmed, and the actor quips back: “The only time I’m intense is when I’m camping with my niece and nephew in the summertime!”
Now put at ease, Fouracres buddies up to Ahmed and says, “I need to chew your ear off about your Hamlet film,” given that Fouracres once played the Shakespearean character on stage at The Globe.
In that instant, a switch “flips” for Ahmed, who turns serious and frankly confused by the prospect of “playing” Hamlet (as well as by the mentions of “Shakespeare” and “The Globe”).
“I wasn’t ‘playing’ Hamlet. I went full Method. I became Hamlet,” the English actor insists.
To the point that, what, he “went on a real-life murderous rampage to avenge the death of your father?” jokes Fouracres. Press play above to get Ahmed’s response to that accusation, and see how the rest of the dressing room drop-by plays out.
Ahmed hosts this Saturday’s SNL UK with musical guest Kasabian. (Episodes air at 10 p.m. GMT on Sky One, and stream Stateside Sundays on Peacock.) Host Jack Whitehall and musical guest Jorja Smith follow on April 11, after which the SNL offshoot will take a one-week break, before wrapping its freshman run with another four episodes in a row.
