‘SNL’ Unites Guest Host Martin Freeman With “Maggie Smith” and “Alan Rickman”

Although he’s already given the world plenty of reasons to love him with ‘The Office,’ ‘Sherlock,’ ‘Fargo’ and the ‘Hobbit’ movies, Martin Freeman won our hearts anew by hosting ‘SNL,’ where he led one of the best episodes in ages. The show got off to a strong start with the opening monologue, which saw Freeman reunited with some of his fellow British thespians: Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith.

Of course, Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith weren’t really there, but they might as well have been. Kate McKinnon’s Smith and Taran Killam’s Rickman were both astounding impersonations, with the former doing a spot-on Violet Crawley and the latter delivering a wonderful Professor Snape. The joke is that all British celebrities know each other and that Freeman shares a bunk bed with the ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Downton Abbey’ stars when they have sleepovers at Mick Jagger’s house.

It’s typical Freeman: charming but self-deprecating. Few guest hosts this season have looked as natural and relaxed as Freeman, who commands the stage and charms an audience who may not be as intimately familiar with his work as most film and television fans. In fact, it’s a shame that many people only know him from ‘The Hobbit.’ This monologue is evidence that he should he hosting his own TV sketch show.