The most talked-about moment from Saturday Night Live‘s 49th season had been percolating for years. It was during Ryan Gosling’s third hosting gig on April 13 that he and cast member Mikey Day took on the roles of Beavis and Butt-Head, two characters from the iconic Mike Judge-created MTV cartoon series.
The Journey to Screen
Originally pitched by Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidell around 2018, the sketch faced multiple hurdles before it finally aired. Back then, it was cut for time and didn’t reach its full potential. Another attempt to bring this idea to life came during an episode hosted by Oscar Isaac in 2022, but again it was cut before production.
Louie Zakarian’s Magic Touch
The transformation of Mikey Day into Butt-Head was no small feat and involved meticulous prosthetics work. Mikey Day‘s look included dentures that gave him the character’s distinct lip curl. Louie Zakarian said, I made him a little retainer that had dentures and braces on it but with a little protrusion that kept his lip up
.
From Nostalgia to Comic Gold
Gosling’s turn as Beavis brought its own challenges. The key issue was time. Somehow, despite a tight schedule, they managed to fit Gosling with his blond wig and nose prosthetics during a three-and-a-half-minute break between skits. Zakarian recalls, Jodi and I were both like, ‘We need more time,’
only to later find out they’d been given just 10 more seconds.
Laughter Behind the Scenes
The sketch didn’t just win over audiences; it cracked up the SNL cast too. Particularly noteworthy was Heidi Gardner’s reaction. Playing the NewsNation host, she struggled to keep a straight face as soon as she saw Mikey Day in his Butt-Head get-up. She fell apart during the dress rehearsal probably even more than she did in the live show because she did not know what to expect,
recalled hairstylist Jodi Mancuso.
A Viral Phenomenon
The episode became a sensation, hitting the show’s highest seven-day viewership since 2021. The characters’ popularity was such that Gosling and Day later reprised their roles at the premiere of Gosling’s movie The Fall Guy. This time, they had a luxurious 10 minutes for their preparation.
Years in the Making but Worth the Wait
The transformation of Gosling and Day into these beloved animated icons is not just a testament to their talents but also to Louie Zakarian’s artistry. From constructing intricate dental prosthetics to managing on-the-fly makeup applications, Zakarian indeed brought these cartoons to life on stage.
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