Stefon Flashback: In His ‘SNL’ Debut With Ben Affleck, He Was Just Plain Scary!
Stefon, the popular Saturday Night Live character played by Bill Hader, is known for his over-the-top reviews and hilarious responses! But, he was not always known for those things.
When Stefon first made his debut on Saturday Night Live back in 2008, he was created as an ordinary character in one of the aired sketches – far away from the Weekend Update desk.
He had the same look – from his outfit and jewelry to his awkward haircut. However, he did not have the same backstory.
Stefon was actually created as the brother of Ben Affleck’s character. In the sketch, Ben Affleck’s character was trying to promote his idea for a new movie to two studio executives – played by Jason Sudeikis and Andy Samberg. Affleck was joined by his brother, Stefon, to deliver the pitch for their movie together as a team.
However, while Affleck wanted to promote a good old-fashioned football story, Stefon was just interested in talking about group sex, denim fabric stitching, and male physiques. Sudeikis’ character described Stefon’s pitch as a “half-remembered gay nightmare.”
From the moment that Stefon entered the room, though, he caught the attention of the audience and SNL viewers everywhere. The dark side of his detailed descriptions was further complemented by Bill Hader and his overall delivery of the lines – especially when it came to his awkward yet intriguing lists.
The writing staff then reworked the character of Stefon, along with his backstory, in order to turn him into more of a resourceful club promoter instead of a failed movie promoter. Once Stefon made his debut on Saturday Night Live during the Weekend Update segment, many SNL fans, critics, and even actors admitted that he had found the perfect home.
On Saturday, Bill Hader hosted Saturday Night Live for the very first time. As soon as the announcement that Bill Hader coming back to SNL was made earlier this month, many fans flocked to Twitter and Facebook requesting the return of Stefon.
With the recent decline of popularity during the Weekend Update segment, due to having two new anchors that seem to have no on-screen chemistry together, adding a dose of Stefon to the mix was just what the doctor ordered.
What did you think about the return of Stefon on SNL? Do you wish that the writers would have kept Stefon the way that he was in his debut sketch with Ben Affleck, or are you happier with him as he is now?
[Image Credit: Celebuzz]
