“Why not let Shaq host then?”: Will Ferrell’s Bombshell SNL Revelation is Making Fans Demand NBC Replace Kelsey Grammer

SUMMARY

• While Shaq is known for many things, comedy is rarely one of them.
• However, if Will Ferrell is to be believed, the former basketball player is actually very funny.
• So much so that he once hijacked an episode of SNL with his humor.

Shaquille O’Neal is certainly one of the most beloved individuals in Hollywood. Being multifaceted in his reputation, he has become a lot more than a former basketball player, now being a sports analyst, an actor, and occasionally appearing in YouTube videos.

Shaquille O’Neal | Credit: CC BY SA 3.0

While all of these seem to track with his presence in the industry, many would be very surprised to know that O’Neal is also a very hilarious person. In fact, Will Ferrell recently revealed that he was once so funny on SNL that his part was cut out.

Knowing the truth behind what happened, fans cannot help but demand retribution.

Shaq’s sketch was cut out of SNL because of Kelsey Grammer

Recently, Will Ferrell gave an interview on the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce, where he revealed quite an interesting experience from his time working on Saturday Night Live. In 1998, Kelsey Grammer was the host of the episode. However, Shaquille O’Neal was around and ended up joining the actor in some of the sketches.

They said, ‘Hey, Shaq’s in town. He wants to do some sketches.’ He destroyed.

Will Ferrell as Buddy in Elf | Credit: New Line Cinema

Even though this was Ferrell’s first time meeting the former basketball player, it would seem that this meeting left a lasting impression on the actor, all because of how hilarious O’Neal was in it. Ferrell revealed that his comedic timing was excellent and the jokes that they were making in their multiple sketches were all top-tier.

He was so funny and natural to the point where one of his sketches got cut because he had a funnier show than the host,

Ferrell was even specific about one of the gags, where a joke was made on the height difference between the two, and even a song ensued. However, those who have seen this episode know that such a sketch never made it into the final cut. The actor revealed that there was a reason for this.

We wrote this sketch where all the cast members were picking on me and making me cry. And Shaq came up, he’s like, ‘What’s going on?’ And I’m like, ‘Shaq, everyone’s making fun of me.’ And he’s like, ‘Come with me, Will.’ … And he picked me up in his arms, and we proceeded to sing a duet called ‘No One’s Gonna Hurt My Little Man.’ And Shaq was cradling me … That got cut, and it, like, destroyed.

A still of Shaq and Will Ferrell on Saturday Night Live | Credit: NBC

It would seem that O’Neal was so hilarious throughout his surprise appearance that he would have stolen the spotlight from Grammer, who was supposed to be the host of that episode. Due to this, the sketch was removed.

Fans want to see Shaq’s comedic side

It is safe to assume that fans were not happy with knowing that something was removed from Saturday Night Live’s script for being too funny. Fans are even more intrigued because of Shaq’s comedic genius that Will Ferrell was alluding to. Many went to Reddit to discuss the new information, wondering about all of the possibilities for them to see O’Neal’s comedic side.

A still of Shaquille O’Neal on Saturday Night Live | Credit: NBC

Some looked back at his appearance in the series, pointing out that he was one of the most hilarious appearances that year on SNL. They mentioned specific skits like “Big Bernard gets a Spanking” and pointed out how well he was able to do physical humor.

Some looked forward instead of at what could have been. Fans pointed out that O’Neal could still get an opportunity to host SNL instead of guest starring in it, allowing fans to get a full taste of how hilarious he can actually be.

While there can be many explanations surrounding why Kelsey Grammer was given more importance over O’Neal, there are still plenty of opportunities for the former basketball player to prove himself.

Written by Ananya Godboley

Articles Published: 1835

A poet and art enthusiast, Ananya Godboley is a striving academic who is pursuing a career in Criminal Psychology, currently doing an undergrad degree in Psychology. Passionate about History, Philosophy and Literature, she loves to learn about new and interesting subjects. A writer for FandomWire with over 1700 published articles, she adores all things superhero and Taylor Swift.