Look Back at Ryan Gosling's Most Hilarious Saturday Night Live Skits as He Hosts Again

Ryan Gosling is making his anticipated return to Saturday Night Live. 

On April 13, the Barbie actor will appear on the Studio 8H stage yet again as he hosts the show for the third time.

Though Gosling hasn't joined the ranks of Emma Stone, Steve Martin, Kristen Wiig and more in the Five-Timers Club just yet, his appearances on the sketch comedy series have certainly been memorable. 

In addition to showing his comedic chops during sketches like “Papyrus,” a.k.a. the "lazy" font behind Avatar, Gosling has been known to break character as he cracks up over his costars' performances. 

Of course, one of Gosling’s fan-favorite sketches has to be “Close Encounter” with Cecily Strong and Kate McKinnon, which inspired even more spinoff sketches with hosts Brie Larson, Paul Rudd and Natasha Lyonne, to name a few. 

Ahead, look back at Ryan Gosling’s most memorable SNL sketches over the years. 

Ryan Gosling’s “Close Encounter” skit on SNL

While hosting the show in December 2015, Gosling, Cecily Strong and Kate McKinnon debuted the very first “Close Encounter” skit, which featured the trio as they recounted being abducted by aliens. Though Gosling and Strong’s characters had positive interactions, McKinnon’s character hilariously detailed her less-than-pleasant interactions with gray aliens, causing Gosling to hold back his laughs on a few occasions. 

Ryan Gosling’s “Papyrus” skit on SNL

Another fan-favorite sketch of Gosling’s was his “Papyrus” sketch from October 2017. In the skit, Gosling, a font aficionado, can’t seem to come to terms with the Avatar font being Papyrus. Gosling doesn’t miss a beat as he portrays a crazed man, going mad over the stylistic choice. 

Ryan Gosling’s “Birthday Party” skit on SNL

Gosling was the epitome of a dorky dad in this “Birthday Party” skit from 2015. In the clip, Aidy Bryant plays a young girl who has a huge crush on her friend’s dad. Poor Gosling can barely keep it together as Bryant’s character attempts to lick birthday cake icing from his finger. 

Ryan Gosling’s “Another Close Encounter” skit on SNL 

After splitting sides with the first “Close Encounter” skit, Gosling reprised his role as the doofy alien abductee in this sketch with Strong and McKinnon. This time, he really couldn’t keep it together as McKinnon got right up in his personal space as she demonstrated how the aliens interacted with her on their ship. 

Ryan Gosling’s “Italian Restaurant” skit on SNL

Gosling and Strong teamed up again as they played a couple not so enthused about eating food from Pizza Hut. Once again, one of the best parts of the skit is how Gosling can barely keep it together by the end. 

Ryan Gosling’s “Santa Baby” skit on SNL

Gosling and Vanessa Bayer are Santa’s No. 1 fans in this holiday sketch from 2015. While attending a Christmas party with friends, Gosling and Bayer’s characters get a little too enthused about the prospect of meeting Santa, making everyone around them uneasy. 

Ryan Gosling’s “Santa & The Elves” skit on SNL

Gosling was really on a roll with the holiday skits when he hosted in December 2015. In addition to playing Santa’s No. 1 fan, he also played one of Santa’s elves in this skit with Bayer and Kenan Thompson. As Santa’s helpers get a little too excited about getting punished, Gosling finds it harder and harder to keep a straight face.  

Ryan Gosling’s “Weekend Update: Guy Who Just Bought a Boat on Dating” skit on SNL

Alex Moffat’s Guy Who Just Bought a Boat character is hilarious in his own right, but Gosling really put the skit over the top when he hosted in 2017. In fact, his overconfident character was so spot-on, it actually played a big role in Greta Gerwig casting him as Ken in Barbie. 

Ryan Gosling’s “Levi's Wokes” skit on SNL 

Before there was Ken’s fur coat, there was Gosling’s Levi's Wokes on SNL. It’s a wonder how Gosling was able to keep it together wearing this obnoxious ensemble in the skit. 

Ryan Gosling’s “Jazz Monologue” on SNL

Although Gosling’s monologue from 2017 wasn’t officially a skit, it’s just too good not to include! As he talks about the success of La La Land and “saving jazz,” the joke is made even funnier as his costar Emma Stone makes a surprise cameo.