It was around the time of the Covid-19 pandemic that actor Glen Powell got the call that he would host “Saturday Night Live.”
He and his family were celebrating the news on a porch when a UPS driver delivering a package happened upon them and asked what was going on. Powell told the driver to tune in to the “SNL” Christmas episode because he’d be hosting.
They celebrated that moment roughly four years ago with a selfie, Powell said, displaying the image during his long-awaited “SNL” monologue Saturday.
But it wasn’t to be.
Powell’s hosting duties were contingent on the release of “Top Gun: Maverick,” in which he plays Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin, but the film was delayed by the pandemic.
“Without ‘Top Gun,’” Powell quoted “SNL” executive producer Lorne Michaels as saying, “no one will know who the eff you are.”
The movie didn’t reach the public until spring 2022, and it would be a couple more years before Powell, who stars in the new movie “The Running Man,” would make his “SNL” hosting debut.
“So I didn’t end up hosting, which means for four years, this UPS driver was just going around saying ‘Glen Powell is a liar,’” he said.
But on Saturday, the native of Austin, Texas, was finally able to prove to the man identified as “Mitch the UPS guy” “that I’m not crazy.”
Powell said his sisters tracked Mitch down, and Powell flew him to New York City so he could witness the moment from Studio 8H.
He called Mitch to stand with him on the storied stage for another selfie as his monologue concluded.
“I had to wait my entire life plus four years to be here,” Powell said. “But if I have learned anything, it’s that the best things in life don’t happen overnight, and no one knows that better than UPS.”
“SNL” airs on NBC, a division of NBCUniversal, which is also the parent company of NBC News. Olivia Dean was the musical guest.
