Mark Ruffalo Explains Why He Turned Down Offer to Host 'SNL': "I'm Scared"

"I don't want to be the host who sucks on 'Saturday Night Live'"

BY Alex HudsonPublished Feb 19, 2024

Mark Ruffalo has been a famous actor for many years, but he's never hosted Saturday Night Live. Now, he has revealed why: because "I'm scared."

Appearing on the latest episode of the podcast WTF with Marc Maron, Ruffalo explained that he was once asked to host SNL, but he turned the offer down. "I'll never be asked back. I don't think Lorne Michaels likes when you say no," Ruffalo said. "It just scares the living shit [out of me]."

Maron pressed Ruffalo for details about why he was so scared. "It's the live thing — like, reading off a cue card. It scares me, because I'm dyslexic," Ruffalo said. "I'll lose where I'm at on a page. When I hear about how that show works and changing things at the last second. I want to be good on it, man! I've been watching that my whole life. I don't want to be the host who sucks on Saturday Night Live, you know? I owe Lorne Michaels more than that."

He added that, in addition to being dyslexic, he also doesn't have a good memory, so he has to start learning scripts long ahead of time.

Hear the episode of WTF with Marc Maron below.

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