Walton Goggins made a memorable Saturday Night Live debut on May 10, bringing his Southern charm, comedic timing, and a few viral-worthy moments to the SNL stage. The Emmy-nominated actor, best known for The White Lotus and The Righteous Gemstones, hosted the 2025 Mother’s Day episode, which featured everything from political satire to a surprisingly flirty brunch sketch.
🎤 Opening Monologue: Walton Goggins Becomes a Sex Symbol & Honors His Mom
In his opening monologue, Goggins leaned into the internet buzz over his sex-symbol status thanks to his brooding White Lotus character. “It feels fantastic,” he joked — until Googling himself and reading headlines like “Are We All Horny for Walton Goggins’s Receding Hairline?”
He lovingly dedicated the monologue to his mother, Janet Long, who was in the audience. Goggins brought her on stage for a sweet slow dance that turned into a lively two-step, perfectly timed for SNL’s Mother’s Day episode.
🇺🇸 Second Amendment Sketch: A Hilarious Twist on U.S. History
In one of the night’s standout sketches, the SNL cast reimagined the writing of the U.S. Constitution. As the Founding Fathers debated the wording of the Second Amendment, Goggins portrayed Matt — a shades-wearing, cigar-smoking tough guy who insists, “Guns.” The post-sketch caption revealed he was shot minutes after leaving the room — classic SNL dark comedy.
🎭 Cecily Strong Returns as Jeanine Pirro in Political Cold Open
The show opened with a satirical musical number for Mother’s Day, abruptly hijacked by James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump. The sketch covered everything from an “American pope” to economic collapse, but the highlight was Cecily Strong’s surprise return as Jeanine Pirro. The judge-turned-DC-circuit-court-nominee did a trademark spit-take of liquor into Pete Hegseth’s mouth (played by Colin Jost), triggering laughter from fans who’ve missed Strong’s high-energy presence.
🍳 Mother’s Day Brunch Sketch: Flirty Waiter Meets Protective Sons
Goggins played a charming — and inappropriately flirtatious — waiter in a Mother’s Day brunch sketch that saw grown sons (Andrew Dismukes and Mikey Day) fuming as he made passes at their moms (Heidi Gardner and Sarah Sherman). “You got to spend nine months inside your mother,” he said to one son. “I’m just trying to get 20 minutes.”
📺 Why Goggins’ Hosting Debut Stood Out
From his heartfelt monologue to offbeat sketch performances, Walton Goggins’ SNL appearance was full of laughs and surprises. The episode added to his Emmy buzz following his White Lotus Season 3 performance and showcased his versatility beyond dramatic roles.
