The “Stranger Things” actor will host the first “Saturday Night Live” episode of 2026.

How Jimmy Fallon played a key role in Finn Wolfhard’s SNL debut — and which star he’s ready to pitch next

The "Stranger Things" actor will host the first "Saturday Night Live" episode of 2026.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

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January 17, 2026 1:29 p.m. ET

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Jimmy Fallon; Finn Wolfhard. Credit:

Todd Owyoung/NBC; Mike Coppola/Getty

Finn Wolfhard is going from the Upside Down to 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

The actor will make his *Saturday Night Live* debut this weekend — and it turns out Jimmy Fallon played a crucial role in getting the *Stranger Things* star to the Studio 8H stage.

During a recent chat with **, the host of *The Tonight Show* revealed that he was the one who suggested Wolfhard as a host to Lorne Michaels, citing his several years as an *SNL *cast member as "a good way in" for him.

"Finn was my last recommendation," said Fallon, who starred on the sketch comedy show from 1998 to 2004. "They have great taste in casting over there, and Lorne does too."

Finn Wolfhard on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' on Dec. 16, 2025.

Todd Owyoung/NBC

Great taste is an understatement. Wolfhard's hosting debut kicks off the second half of a star-studded season 51, the premiere of which Bad Bunny hosted in October hot off the news that he'll headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. Soon after, *SNL *great Amy Poehler returned for the show's 50th anniversary of its first-ever episode on Oct. 11, 1975, Sabrina Carpenter pulled double duty, and *Wicked: For Good *star Ariana Grande hosted the 2025 Christmas episode with Cher returning as a musical guest for the first time since her 1987 *SNL *debut.

So Wolfhard has a bit of pressure on his shoulders as he hosts the season's first show of 2026. Joining the actor is musical guest A$AP Rocky, who's also making his debut, a pretty good sign of faith from the powers that be at *SNL*. Although Wolfhard hasn't appeared on the show before, he does have a connection to it, having starred in Jason Reitman's 2024 *SNL *biopic, *Saturday Night*, playing an NBC page.

As Wolfhard's debut approaches, Fallon quipped that depending on how well the *Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire* actor fares, he has another star in mind to recommend to Michaels next: *Heated Rivalry* breakout Hudson Williams.

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"I mean, he's Canadian, so there's an advantage there," Fallon pointed out, referring to the fact that both Williams and Michaels are Canadian American. "They look out for each other!"

It'd be surprising if *SNL* weren't already working on booking Williams or his *Heated Rivalry *costar Connor Storrie for the show considering the chokehold the Canadian series has had on TV viewers since its premiere on HBO Max late last year. The massive response from fans has led to a swift season 2 renewal and turned its leads into viral sensations.

"I made a joke — I said, like, Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Gosling are passing the hot Canadian celebrity torch to Hudson Williams," Fallon told EW (which, fair).

The 24-year-old Williams made his late-night debut on *The* *Tonight Show* on Jan. 7, and his appearance sparked a frenzy that shocked even its longtime host.

Hudson Williams on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' on Jan. 7, 2026.

Todd Owyoung/NBC

"The night before I came into work, someone called and said, 'Hey, there's a line outside 30 Rock that's probably 150 people long,'" Fallon recalled of the intense viral reaction, as footage shared on social media showed throngs of fans gathering overnight for a chance to see Williams. "I go, 'For, for Hudson?' They go, 'For Hudson Williams!' They were freaking out. [Fans] flew here! I'm like, 'This is so fun.'"

Fallon remembered making his own way to the building the day of filming and walking through the crowd, which he admitted was "so cool to see."

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The late-night veteran said it was "one of the hottest audiences we've ever had" and that he'd "put it up there with BTS or Harry Styles. I mean, they went bonkers."

"The whole show was great. But Hudson was the reason everyone was in such a hype mood," the *Saturday Night Live* alum added. "I mean, people were going crazy. Even just mentioning his name, they went wild, and I said it's almost deafening. It's almost like seeing those black-and-white videos of the Beatles or something, and you go, 'How could it be that loud in one room?'"

Reps for *The* *Tonight Show *told EW that Williams' interview amassed 45 million views across the show's social and digital platforms at the time.

"I loved the response from it because, you know, two years ago, there was no show," Fallon said. "Two weeks ago, everyone is talking about *Heated Rivalry.* And now it's all about Hudson Williams, you know? We've done it so long, and I think there's a trust in our show and hopefully me, you know? I don't wanna see you fall down. I want to see you score. I want everyone to win. So whoever's coming on the show, like, let's do it."

Fans can check out Finn Wolfhard's *SNL* debut tonight at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.

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Source: “EW SNL”