“SNL50” gave viewers a meta moment.
Kenan Thompson played his role as host of “Black Jeopardy” during a sketch on Sunday night’s 50th anniversary special, but the bit featured a twist: former “SNL” cast member Eddie Murphy played another former cast member, Tracy Morgan; next to Tracy Morgan.
Leslie Jones joined Murphy and Morgan as contestants.
Chris Rock later took the reins from Thompson as “Black Jeopardy” host and asked the trio a question about “SNL” trivia.
“Welcome to ‘Black Jeopardy,’ the only ‘Jeopardy’ where every single viewer fully understood Kendrick’s halftime performance,” asked Thompson, alluding to Lamar’s performance at the Super Bowl 2025 halftime show where he elevated his years-long feud with Drake.
Introducing Murphy as Morgan, the “Beverly Hills Cop” star did an over the top impression of Morgan’s voice, saying, “Big dog gonna make some big money!”
Thompson then asked, “Now wait a minute, Tracy. Don’t you already have a lot of money?”
“You gotta have a lot of money if you live like I live,” Murphy as Morgan replied. “I eat four-cheese lasagna. If they only got three cheeses, I ain’t eating it.”
“I refuse to ingest three cheeses,” Murphy added as Thompson tried to move the bit along.
Addressing the elephant in the room, Thompson turned to the actual Morgan, who played a character named Darius. “Darius, Tracy, y’all seem like you might be related,” the “Good Burger” actor said.
Later, Murphy interjected, “Well, James Earl Jones is my biological father. James Earl Jones impregnated my mother on the set of ‘Claudine.’ You know what? We might be related.”
An annoyed-looking Morgan responded, “I don’t see it.”
The categories included in the “Black Jeopardy” sketch were “Look Here,” “This Joker Talkin’ Bout,” “Leave Bronny Alone,” “Mannnn…,” “Live From New York” and, as always, “White People.”
Morgan was a regular on “SNL” from 1996 to 2003, while Murphy was a cast member from 1980 to 1984.
“Black Jeopardy” was featured for the first time on the Mar. 29, 2014 episode of “SNL,” which was hosted by Louis C.K. The sketch was also included in the Nov. 14, 2015, May 14, 2016 and Oct. 22, 2016 telecasts, the last of which featured Tom Hanks as a MAGA hat-wearing contestant named Dave.
Hanks reprised his role as a fish out water contestant on the “SNL” 50th anniversary special.
The 40th anniversary celebration of “SNL” also featured a “Jeopardy” sketch. Former “SNL” cast member Will Ferrell returned to portray the late Alex Trebek in a “Celebrity Jeopardy” segment, which included Trebek’s “Celebrity Jeopardy” nemesis, Sean Connery, as one of the contestants.
Famously played by Darrell Hammond, Connery was joined by a a then-teenaged Justin Bieber (Kate McKinnon) and Tony Bennett (Alec Baldwin).
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
