What Tom Hanks actually said during controversial SNL sketch that left Trump supporters outraged
Topics: Tom Hanks, TV And Film, Politics, Donald Trump, Entertainment
Lucy Devine
Featured Image Credit: Chris Haston/NBC via Getty Images
Topics: Tom Hanks, TV And Film, Politics, Donald Trump, Entertainment
This weekend, famous faces from all areas of the entertainment industry gathered for the SNL50: The Anniversary Special, which took place on Sunday evening (16 February) to mark 50 years of Saturday Night Live.
The show featured a number of sketches from different celebrities, but it was one skit by Tom Hanks that proved to be rather controversial among Republican viewers in particular.
Part of Hanks' performance was to pay tribute to past SNL characters and sketches that hadn't aged well.
But Republicans were horrified by his act, with many taking offence.
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In the act, Hanks reprised his role of Doug from Black Jeopardy!.
The original sketch had appeared in a 2016 episode of SNL, where Hanks played Donald Trump supporter, Doug.
In the scene, Doug wears a MAGA baseball cap and refuses to shake hands with Darnell Hayes, played by Kenan Thompson.
He also mentions starting a show 'for you to come on', which he calls 'White Jeopardy'.
In the sketch, Doug appears on the game show Black Jeopardy! but when he answers a question correctly, host Darnell approaches him to shake his hand and congratulate him.
But Doug is reluctant, uttering 'oh no no, oh no no'.
Darnell says: "You're welcome back on Black Jeopardy any time," to which Doug responds: “Oh well, alright well, thank you, my my my brother... Maybe I’ll start a show for you to come on and we’ll call it ‘White Jeopardy.’”
Many Republicans on social media were quick to criticise the sketch, as one person wrote: “Tom Hanks went on SNL dressed like a slob mocking millions of Trump supporters.... Keep it up libs. You'll never win another election again.”
While another said: “Tom Hanks was just disrespecting every Republican on SNL as he was dressed up as a Trump supporter with a MAGA hat.”
And a third added: "Tom Hanks and SNL thought it would be hilarious for him to put on a MAGA hat and act out a stereotype of half the country in a desperate attempt to cope with Democrats crushing defeat in November. Not surprising no one watches SNL or NBC anymore."
Meanwhile, a fourth claimed: "After watching Tom Hanks do a sad mockery of me & every other Trump supporter on SNL's 50th anniversary show I know I'll never watch another of his performances or movies."
Tyla has reached out to Hanks' rep for comment.