The 'Ted Lasso' star opened up to ET about his 'SNL' hosting debut and the future of his beloved sports sitcom.
Jason Sudeikis is returning to Saturday Night Live for his hosting debut! The celebrated comic actor will return to Studio 8H this coming weekend, eight years after leaving the show, and he's looking forward to being a part of the creative process once again.
Sudeikis recently spoke with ET's Nischelle Turner, and reflected on his return, sharing, "I don’t know if working there for 10 years is going to be a plus or a minus."
Sudeikis began working at SNL as a sketch writer in 2003, before getting cast as a performer in 2005. He ended his run on the show in 2013.
After all those years, Sudeikis says it's not even the episode itself that he's excited for the most, but rather the entire ride.
"I’m looking forward to even just the Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the writing and the read through, you know?" he said. "Because it feels like being shot out of a rocket ship and people are like, 'It’s already done?' So I’m going to savor the parts of the week that I enjoyed from working there."
That being said, he's planning on sitting back and letting the show's talented team of writers and comics do their thing, without adding too much input of his own.
"They have so many folks there right now, between the cast and writing [staff]. I know when I worked there that always bummed me out, when someone else would write or bring guests and stuff. I'd be like, 'Get out of here, Paul McCartney. We don’t need you! Get out of here Steve Martin!'"
As for the possibility of teaming up with some guest stars or fellow former cast members -- including Kristen Wiig or Bill Hader, with whom Sudeikis appeared in some of the show's most iconic sketches -- the actor explained that he wasn't yet sure what was in the cards.
He said he'd love a chance "just to hang out with them, much less perform with them again."
"I haven't seen anybody in a good long while," Sudeikis added. "So we'll see what Lorne [Michaels] has up his sleeve."
As for his own Emmy-showered sitcom, Ted Lasso, Sudeikis and his fellow creators and stars are currently in the midst of writing and shooting season 3. However, that hasn't stopped speculation that this may be the show's last season, in spite of its popularity.
According to Sudeikis -- who has now won two Emmys and a Golden Globe for playing the eponymous soccer coach -- it's still too soon to tell what the future has in store.
"I feel like a real coach when I have to tell folks that you can’t look at season 4 when we're in the middle of season 3. We can’t worry about the championships when we're in the first round of playoffs, you know? We got to take it one game at a time, as cliché as that may sound," he explained. "It’s hard to think about what to do in the distant future when you're trying to deal with what’s right in front of you."
Fans will get a chance to see Sudeikis make his SNL hosting debut when he takes the stage on Oct. 23. Saturday Night Live airs live, coast-to-coast, at 11:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC.
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