Here they go again — again! Steve Martin and Martin Short added another project to their long list of collaborations when they brought back their iconic Father of the Bride characters on Saturday Night Live.
“This is our home: 24 Maple Drive. We bought it when Annie was in grammar school. She even got married here. So many memories,” Martin, 77, said during the Saturday, December 10, episode, in which he reprised his role as George Banks from the 1991 flick.
Martin’s George then learned that eldest daughter Annie (played by Heidi Gardner) was getting married for the eighth time. “Annie, what makes you think I can afford an eighth Nancy Meyers-style wedding? I’m financially drained,” the Cheaper By the Dozen star quipped.
The Texas native initially played patriarch George Banks in 1991’s Father of the Bride and 1995’s Father of the Bride Part II, both directed by Nancy Meyers, opposite Diane Keaton (Nina Banks), Kimberly Williams-Paisley (Annie Banks), Kieran Culkin (Matty Banks), George Newbern (Bryan MacKenzie) and Short (Franck Eggelhoffer), now 72. The Banks family had enlisted the outlandish Franck to plan Annie’s nuptials to Bryan (and baby shower in the sequel).
Short’s Franck returned in Saturday’s episode “doing an accent that I think is still OK,” per an SNL voiceover. Franck helped George and Nina (played by Chloe Fineman) give their 52-year-old daughter the wedding of her dreams yet again. Franck even suggested that Annie could use some “plumping,” “tugging” and a little procedure “down there” (also known as vaginal rejuvenation) — which was TMI for one family member.
Diane Keaton, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Kimberly Williams in ‘Father Of The Bride.’ Touchstone/Kobal/Shutterstock
“Eww! Can we not talk about my sister’s privates right now?” the Succession star, 40, quipped in the sketch, shortly after walking into the room, reprising his childhood role of Nina and George’s son. “I feel like I might blow chunks!”
Culkin added: “My sister in a wedding dress? Gross to the max! Oh, by the way, no cake for me [because] I have a colonoscopy tomorrow.”
As the group cooed over the bride-to-be, they learned Franck had one more surprise up his sleeve — Selena Gomez as the wedding singer! The group — including the 30-year-old Disney Channel alum — all closed out the skit by singing Franck’s “Every Party Needs a Pooper” ditty.
The legendary comedians — who were joined by musical guest Brandi Carlile on Saturday — have their own history with the NBC sketch show before their joint appearance. Martin has hosted SNL 15 times throughout his career and has appeared in multiple guest spots. Meanwhile, Short was a cast member during the show’s 10th season. The Canada native has also hosted SNL three times in the past.
Over the years, Martin and Short have collaborated on numerous occasions across multiple platforms. The duo first worked together on the 1986 film Three Amigos! and The Prince of Egypt. Martin even had guest roles on three episodes of Short’s NBC variety series Maya & Marty. In 2018, the pair scored their own Netflix special titled An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life, which earned them four Emmy nominations. Martin and Short currently star on Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building with Gomez and will resume their You Won’t Believe What They Look Like Today! tour in 2023.
Before their joint appearance on SNL, the Pink Panther star hinted at plans to retire from the industry. “When this television show is done, I’m not going to seek others. I’m not going to seek other movies. I don’t want to do cameos. This is, weirdly, it,” the actor told The Hollywood Reporter in August.
Martin noted that he was looking forward to focusing on his live show with Short, adding, “There may be a natural end to that — somebody gets sick, somebody just wears out — but I wouldn’t do it without Marty.”
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The Innerspace star, for his part, reflected on his longtime friend’s legacy and career. “I think Steve learned the joy of collaboration,” Short said at the time. “All through his stand-up life, he was by himself. Now, when he has success, he can celebrate with someone. And when something bombs, he can really laugh about it — as opposed to just being alone with it.”
One month later, Martin clarified the comments about his future in Hollywood. “It’s a little overstated,” he told E! News during a joint interview with Short. “They asked me, ‘Do you think about retirement?’ I said, ‘Well this is it. I’m doing a television show, I’ve got a book coming out and I’m touring with [Short]. That kind of is my retirement — that’s what it’s going to look like.’”
Short added: “I can’t imagine him ever retiring. I hope not, because then you know what happens to me.”
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Martin and Short went one step further than retirement, turning their SNL monologue into a pair of eulogies in the event of their eventual deaths. Short even proclaimed that he didn’t even know who he’d work with after his longtime buddy passed before the Spring Breakers actress volunteered for the gig.
Saturday Night Live airs on NBC Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET.
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