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Live from LA — it’s, well, Sunday night!
Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Bowen Yang and Seth Meyers brought the laughs as they took the stage at the 76th Emmy Awards from the Peacock Theater on Sunday night.
The comedians honored the long-running NBC comedy sketch show “Saturday Night Live,” which will enter its fifth decade on Sept. 28.
“We heard something backstage that needs to be addressed,” Rudolph said.
“Now before later,” Wiig, 51, chimed in. “We heard that our dear friend, our mentor, Lorne Michaels, has been nominated for and lost the Emmy 85 times. He has never won.”
“Never won,” Yang, 33, said. “85 times! It’s just wrong, and we’d like to take this occasion to say a few words to him.”
“Lorne, look at me,” Wiig said to Michaels, 79. “It’s really hard to see if he’s looking at me. You do have value, you are worthy, and you are not and have never been a loser, even though you have lost a lot.”
Rudolph echoed her former co-star’s sentiments, “Lorne, now immediately look at me. Look at me and look at my mouth.
“Each and every one of these 85 times that you lost, you were robbed, you hear me? Robbed,” she continued.
Yang added, “Lorne, look at me, look, it gets better. Just because “SNL” didn’t work doesn’t mean your next idea won’t. Keep dreaming.”
But Meyers had a different recollection. “Guys, this is very nice, but Lorne has won 21 Emmys and ‘SNL’ has won over 200,” the 50-year-old said.
“That’s too much,” Wiig quipped.
“I can’t believe you’re complaining about this, Lorne,” Rudolph said, adding, “Not to be rude, but grow up.”
It was a huge night for Wiig and Rudolph, who were both recognized for their comedic chops.
The besties picked up nominations in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category for their respective work in “Loot” and “Palm Royale.”
Wiig was also nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for hosting the April 6 episode of “Saturday Night Live.”
Wiig’s SNL appearance, alongside musical guest Raye, initiated her into the show’s Five-Timers Club.
Rudolph also scored a nod in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series category for her return to 30 Rock. The “Bridesmaids” star hosted this year’s Mother’s Day episode in May and performed a hilarious musical monologue.
The opening “I’m Your Mother” track earned Rudolph a Emmy nomination for Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics.
The “Grown Ups” actress was a cast member on “SNL” between 2000 and 2007, while Wiig was on the show between 2005 and 2012.
Meanwhile, Rudolph was also once again recognized in the Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for her work as the Hormone Monstress in the animated series “Big Mouth.”
Wiig has earned 11 Emmy nominations throughout her career but has yet to win, while Rudolph, who has been nominated 15 times, has won five Emmys for her work on “SNL” and “Big Mouth.”
In December 2023, the pair joined former “SNL” star and then-host Kate McKinnon in a holiday-themed sketch as the Swedish band ABBA. “We were just walking by,” Wiig joked before the trio closed out McKinnon’s monologue by linking arms and singing “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
76th Creative Arts EMMYS, Los Angeles, California. Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
Since leaving the late-night sketch show, Rudolph and Wiig have starred in multiple films together, including 2011’s “Friends with Kids” and the Oscar-nominated comedy “Bridesmaids.”
The iconic duo reunited at the 2020 Academy Awards to present the statue for Best Production Design to Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
Despite their onscreen chemistry, Wiig said in March that a “Bridesmaids” sequel was probably not in the cards.
“It’s never been a conversation,” she told the Hollywood Reporter. “That story had an end, and it’s so beloved to me for 10 million reasons, and I think it’s OK to just have it exist in the world as it is.”