Charlize Theron may have been the host of “Saturday Night Live” this week, but it was veteran journalist and “The View” co-host Barbara Walters who stole the show with her surprise appearance.
As “SNL” honored Walters in the Weekend Update segment with clips of the comedy show’s past send-ups of her, the TV personality rolled in next to Cecily Strong.
“Cecily, thank you for that … uhh … tribute,” Walters, who is retiring on May 16, started. “What an honor it was to see my groundbreaking career in journalism reduced to a cartoon character with a ridiculous voice.”
When Strong noted that the 84-year-old was a “personal inspiration to (her) as a news anchor,” Walters shot back, “Well, but I’m a real news anchor. … I’m not like some fake anchor like you.”
Oh, snap!
But the veteran did give Strong a few interviewing tips before signing off, including “develop a signature voice that no one will forget” (Baba Wawa, anyone?) and the best way to interview a celebrity.
“It is fine to make people smile, but the real money is in making them cry!” Walters advised enthusiastically. “Nothing brings in the viewers like seeing a celebrity reduced to tears. You may think, awww, I’m feeling really bad for them, but all I’m thinking is, ‘Ka-ching!'”
Theron may have been upstaged, but she had a few memorable sketches of her own. She hid her good looks in several of them, and in the pretaped bit “Tourists,” the actress — disguised in a fat suit — even baffled New York tourists.
The season finale of “Saturday Night Live” airs next week at 11:30 on NBC. Alum Andy Samberg will return to host for the first time, with St. Vincent as the musical guest.