Oscar-nominated actress trots out her Empire character and cleverly impersonates comedienne during parody of NBCs Hollywood Game Night
Taraji P. Henson is not a comedienne, but the Oscar-nominated actress is hilariously over-the-top as Cookie Lyon in Foxs top-rated, soapy drama Empire. Sketch comedy is a hard beast to tame and Henson proved this when she set out to conquer the art form as a first-time host on Saturday Night Live this weekend.
In her opening monologue, she strutted and sang with a choir about achieving long overdue mainstream acclaim in a song called I Made It.
Also Read: Taraji P. Henson Goes Cookie Lyon on Taran Killam in SNL Promos (Video)
This is so nice, Henson deadpanned before the song. After 20 years in show business, white people finally know who I am.
In some of the nights other sketches, Henson went on to play a lawyer in an HLN sketch, a QVC host in another bit and Nicki Minaj in a parody of Home.
A Boyz N the Hood inspired parody titled John Singletons Game of Thrones short turned out to be rather funny with well-timed cameo from GoTs Nikolaj Coster-Waldau aka Jaime Lannister and not because of Henson.
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After Weekend Update, Henson impersonated comedian Wanda Sykes in a Hollywood Game Night sketch that really showed off her comedic chops. Henson drew big laughs as she nailed Sykes voice and walk.
To no ones surprise, Empire made its way onto the show and Henson once again proved how funny she is as Cookie Lyon this time on a Sesame Street short that included an Elmo coat.
Henson also garnered giggles as Janelles freak dancing mom on the recurring web show sketch How To Dance with Janelle and as a black woman who wanted to play baseball in a bit that intelligently parodied A League of Their Own.
Also Read: Empires Taraji P. Henson Shares Favorite Cookie Lines: Shut Up Dora, Boo Boo Kitty (Video)
If SNL had reversed the order of the sketches and showed the Sesame Street, Janelle and baseball pieces first, the episode wouldve been much stronger. Instead, the writers probably disappointed a lot of Empire and Henson fans early on.
In other segments, Weekend Update was a treat with Michael Che delivering a few brilliantly crafted one-liners on police shootings and college riots and a delightful cameo by Billy Crystal as Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boys dad.
Meanwhile, Kate McKinnons SNL domination continued as she nailed it in both the cold open as Hillary Clinton and as Jane Lynch on Hollywood Game Night. The added bonus was seeing Darrell Hammond as former President Bill Clinton again.
Saturday Night Live airs 11:30 p.m. Saturdays on NBC.
Watch sketches from Tarajs SNL episode:
Source: http://www.thewrap.com/taraji-p-henson-uneven-on-snl-sesame-street-works-nicki-minaj-doesnt/
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