Jenna Ortega and Kevin Costneraren’t two people that most celebrity fans would put together. Their careers and ages are wildly different. Costner is in his 70s and has multiple successfulseries likeYellowstone, as well as an Oscar for Best Director to his name. Meanwhile, Ortega has established herself as one of horror’s biggest current scream queens through projects likeWednesdayandA24’sDeath of a Unicorn.
However, duringSNL 50, which celebrated the long-running sketch comedy show’s 50th anniversary, Costner and Ortega were unexpectedly thrown together.The star-studded event featured actors, musicians, athletes, and public figures from all across the American consciousness.In a way, all the celebrity appearances perfectly reflect the significant presence the long-running sketch comedy show has in American culture, especially American comedy. Costner and Ortega were just two stars in a night sky of brilliance.
Jenna Ortega & Kevin Costner’s SNL 50 Audience Reaction Shots, Explained
It Was Part Of A Sketch
Jenna Ortega and Kevin Costner appear in a segment whereSNLalumni Tina Fey and Amy Poehlerhost a Q&A with the audience. The skit was likely added toSNL 50so the program could feature as many celebrity guests as possible. The bit soon turns into a parody, in whichformerSNLcast memberssing the Les Misérables soundtrack.
Costner and Ortega soon find themselves engulfed by three passionate singers: Jason Sudeikis, dressed as a 1970s drifter; Will Forte as Elmo; and Kristen Wiig as the green M&M. TheYellowstoneandWednesdaystars sitting in between the drifter, green M&M and Elmo who are all belting out Broadway showtunes, is already a recipe for comedy. But what makes it even funnier is that Costner and Ortega seem to be caught in the middle of the sketch, both literally and figuratively.
The celebrities are completely caught off guard by the singers, though they try to maintain their smiles, knowing they are on camera.But their expressions, from trying to look away to glances between the two seemingly unrelated actors, make the scene even more enjoyable.The drifter and Elmo reach over Costner and Ortega in an embrace, plus the drifter keeps hitting Ortega with his hand, which forces her to move in closer to Costner.
Shortly after the bit, some viewers started a rumor that Ortega and Costner were dating because of how she got close to him. However, the reality is that Ortega didn’t want to get hit in the face by Jason Sudeikis, and really, who could blame her? At the end of the sketch, Costner and Ortega are squished together during a kiss between Forte and Sudeikis.The celebs areSNL 50’sMVPs if only for being such good sports about being stuck in the middle, literally.
Other Notable Celebrity Reactions At SNL 50
Spoiler Alert: They’re All Funny
Another memorable celebrity reaction that also occurred during the Q&A sketch was when Keith Richards ofThe Rolling Stonesasked if anyone atSNLhad found the scarf he left behind in 1998. Then the camera cuts tocomedic actor Zach Galifianakis, wearing a bright scarf on his head, who says, “Look, it’s simply not here, okay?! Can we all just stop looking? Next question!” Both Zach’s commitment to the bit and the wave of laughter that comes from the audience are enough to make anyone chuckle.
The star-studded affair also caught a surprised reaction from Blake Lively afterReynolds memorably joked about herIt Ends with Uscontroversywith Justin Baldoni. To be honest, I had to go back and watch that part again because I was so distracted by the many A-listers behind Reynolds, including not only Jenna Ortega and Kevin Costner but also Steven Spielberg, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Cher in the background.
Honestly, Cher, who was seated on the other side of Costner, offered one of the best moments in the sketch. Poehler asks if Cher has a question, but she perfectly responds with “No, I don’t. I got a lot of answers.” Classic Cher and classicSNLcame together in one beautiful package.
