Cast members come and go all the time at Saturday Night Live. But filling Leslie Jones’ shoes will be hard for so many reasons.
The two-time Emmy-nominated actress/comedian toiled at stand-up for more than 25 years before being tapped to join the writing staff of the show in 2013, and finally making it on screen a year later. Her tenure recently came to an end after five years, when Jones announced that she would not be returning for the upcoming 45th season.
As the oldest person ever cast on the show, Jones, now 51, brought a seasoned comedic style and sense of timing, immediately standing out for her over-the-top “Weekend Update” opinion pieces, which almost always devolved into aggressive flirting with the fake news segment’s co-anchor, Colin Jost. But it was in her frequent appearances in the show’s musical spoofs that Jones really lit up, whether it was rapping the praises of New York’s underappreciated Upper East Side to playing the world’s most ardent Weezer fan.
Here are some of Jones’ best musical moments on the show.
“U.E.S.”
Sure, Jones lived in hard places like Compton and Spanish Harlem. But leave it up to LJ to make New York’s Upper East Side sound superfly. “It’s the U.E.S. where the players play/ White men in khakis line up for Fairway/ I used to be basic, but that was long ago/ How I’m movin’ on up like the Jefferson show/ You think you got a subway, bitch we got the Q/ The only train younger the WWII.” Plus, her dope-ass baker, Mikel, nail salons, easy-to-grab taxis, nannies and did she mention the fresh bread?
“Back Home Ballers”
Jones was at her best when she was making videos with the rest of her Thanksgiving posse in this 2014 sketch featuring Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, Sasheer Zamata, Vanessa Bayer, Cameron Diaz and “Lil’ Baby” Aidy Bryant. Going home for the holidays was rarely as stuffed with hard-core chillaxing as this skit where their parents did everything for their daughters. After all the other ladies brag about the lengths their grateful folks went for them, Jones one-upped the game. “Hold up, ya’ll don’t even know how pimpin’ it is at my mom’s house. That bitch puts out so many bowls of things for me it’s insane!” she says before busting into a Missy Elliott-style flow. “I’m up to my ass in bowls…bowls all type of bowls/ Chips and mints and seashell bowls/ My mom’s got bowls for erythang/ Potpurri and nuts and erythang.”
“Weezer”
In another holiday classic, new neighbor Jones gets super intense with Matt Damon when they threw down over which Weezer era was the best Weezer era. Spoiler alert: Leslie is definitely team Blue and Pinkerton. The band loved it so much that singer Rivers Cuomo said the skit had him “crying” (even though he later admitted he had not even seen the sketch.)
“Welcome to Hell”
This Dec. 2017 music number had McKinnon, Bryant, Strong, Melissa Villasenor and guest Saoirse Ronan taking on the #MeToo movement and revealing that creepy men being creepy is not news to, like, all women. “Welcome to hell/ Now we’re all in here/ Look around isn’t it nice/ It’s a full nightmare,” the women sing. “Hey, just want to say I think what you guys are doing is really cool. I get it,” Jones says. “But you do know that it’s like a million times worse for a woman of color?”
“Gospel Brunch”
In May 2018, Jones teamed up with Kenan Thompson as gospel foodies Traci and Pervis Scott, the singing hosts of “Gospel Brunch,” the only place to go for your daily bread and butter….and four cheese mac and cheese with bacon and potato chips.
“Cleaning Crew”
Christmastime again, which means it was the perfect opportunity for the office cleaning crew — Jones, Strong and guest host Emma Stone — to sing an original holiday song for their bosses. “Santa said be quiet as a mouse/ Don’t tell anybody or I’ll burn down your house/ Bad boy Santa, bad boy Santa/ Santa’s a bad, bad boy,” they sing in harmony in a horrifying song about a St. Nick with terrible intentions.
“Empire Promo”
Jones plays assistant Porsha Taylor, always on her phone, and always ready to add that extra comment. But mostly always on her phone.
Will Ferrell host promo
Jones revisists former cast member Ferrrell’s finest moments, from the cheerleader to his iconic “more cowbell” character.