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Walton Goggins made a memorable hosting debut on Saturday Night Live on May 10, leaning into his newfound status as an unlikely sex symbol. Known for playing the brooding Rick Hatchett in The White Lotus, Goggins joked in his monologue about the internet’s fascination with his character—and his looks.
“No spoilers, but I die,” he began, deadpan. “My character in White Lotus is pretty brooding, which the internet seemed to find attractive.”
He addressed the late-in-life sex symbol label with playful honesty: “Some of my friends have even asked me, ‘Walton, what’s it like to become a sex symbol at 53 years old?’ And you know what, if I’m being honest, it feels fantastic.”
To back up the buzz, he read out real headlines. One from Cosmopolitan asked, “Are We All Horny for Walton Goggins’s Receding Hairline?” His response: “I’ve had the same hairline since I was seven. It’s not receding—it’s holding its ground.”
Another headline labeled him “Hollywood’s Newest Heartthrob: A Greasy, Depressing Little Man Whom No One Saw Coming.” Goggins quipped, “Thank you? For some reason, the part of that headline that offends me the most is the word ‘whom.’ It just sounds pretentious.”
The tone shifted sweetly when Goggins brought his mother on stage for a slow dance, only to surprise the audience by launching into a lively tap routine.
The episode also featured a cameo from Goggins’ White Lotus co-star and longtime friend Sam Rockwell, who joined him in a bizarre sketch about tiny feet. Goggins’ appearance came a little over a month after The White Lotus Season 3 wrapped on HBO.
Recent SNL hosts include Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson and Anora star Mikey Madison.