Kate McKinnon on Making Her SNL Hosting Debut and Living in a Snake Condo

-Our first guest tonight is an Emmy-winning actress and comedian you know from her work on "Saturday Night Live" and "Barbie." This weekend, she makes her "SNL" hosting debut with musical guest Billie Eilish, airing live on NBC and Peacock. Please welcome back to the show my very good friend Kate McKinnon, everybody. [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ Hello. -Hey. -Hello. -It's good to see you. -So, what do you got there, Kate? -Oh. I'm sorry. Yes, this is my water jug. -That's your water jug? Now, that's, uh... That's a -- That's a massive water jug. How much water you got in a jug like that? -It's a gallon jug. -It's a gallon jug. -Yeah, I started pounding a daily gallon, um... about four years ago. -Oh, really? -Yeah. -That's a lot of gallons. -People ask me, "Do you have to pee all the time?" Yeah, I do. [ Laughter ] I'm always on the hunt for a bathroom because of my jugs. So, um... And I'm always carrying around my jug, and then -- So this was -- I had a -- I had a great plastic jug that I had with me for a few years. And then I read that that will kill you. Um, so I invested in this one, and this is, um... -I got to imagine heavier than plastic. -This is weapons-grade steel alloy. [ Laughter ] -This is so heavy. -Try to take a drink from this. -I don't think it's full either. -Oh, that's full -- That's -- Check that out. -This is -- Right away, I'm hearing -- I'm feeling everything in there. [ Laughter ] -Yeah. So that's New York City tap water, finest in the nation. -Wow. That's, um... That's not a pleasant way to take a swig of water. -No, it's not. You really -- I mean, I can't lift it. -Now, did you ever think of, like, having a half? [ Laughter ] A little bit of a splash zone there. -Yeah. [ Laughter ] But what it does do is I'm never alone. [ Laughter ] I always have a big, heavy friend with me. And I feel protected. -Have you ever thought of, like, uh, you know, Tom Hanks and a face on it, like "Castaway" style? -No, it's not a person. It's a jug. [ Laughter ] -Now, you -- I guess I'm a little unsurprised that you're now juggin' it because I've heard you -- You're now a woods person. You live in the woods? -I live in the woods. -Yeah. -I have always lived in the -- In my mind, I have always lived in the woods. -We always -- When we met you, there was an assumption you came from the woods. [ Laughter ] And then we found it was, in fact, not the woods. But now you found your true home. -I've returned. -Yeah. -To where I was made. And yeah, I love -- I love it so much. I mean, I am the woods. -You are the woods. -It's the truth. -Do the woods -- Are the woods welcoming to you? Do you feel as though nature has opened its arms? -I have many friends in the woods. Many friends. The chipmunks, the birds, the turtles, the snakes, -Snakes. -The snakes. Yes, there are snakes. -Okay. -Which is different from in New York City because there's a lot of stuff in New York City but no snakes. And so these -- apparently -- so, these garter snakes, they come out once a year for a week and they kind of get together, if you know what I mean. I don't know what the hand motion for snakes getting together would be. -For snakes having sex? You don't know what it is? It's not that, right? -It's something -- They've got... -Oh, they've got -- -Do you know they have two? -They have two? -Yeah. -And then does -- Do they both... Do they have -- Do both sides have two? -I think they do. -Really? So it's a two -- -Well, no, no. I think it's -- I think it's one and I think it's two. -Okay. Gotcha. -Okay? -So what does the other of the two do? [ Laughter ] -Just... -Just sort of that. -Just smoke a cigarette. Just hang out. [ Laughter ] -Just kind of like, "Here if you need me." -Yes, exactly. -Okay. This is so -- This is a lot of snake science we're getting out for the kids. -I know. Well, they all come out. -So all the snakes come out to to be coital with one another? -Yeah. And it is called the hemipene. Anyways, so -- -Wait, what? What is a hemipene? -The two. -Is that called a hemipene or is the week where they all come out? -No, no, the two is a hemipene. Anyway, so they all come out and they all do it, right? Okay. But then they go back to a place that I've learned is called a hibernaculum. -What's that? -Which sounds like it's something from Slytherin or something where Voldemort is, but it's just where they all hang all year. -Okay. So it's like a snake condo? -Yes, exactly. Exactly. And so I saw all these snakes one week, and I happened to have another woods person over, and the woods person was like, "Let's see where they go so we can see where the hibernaculum is." And so their hibernaculum is my house. [ Laughter ] -So did you, like, walk out of your house and, like, follow snakes around to another part of your house? -Yeah, yeah. And so the front stoop. -Yeah. -And my fr-- I opened it and there were like 30. [ Laughter ] And I thought, "Okay, well, we're sharing." -Oh, that's interesting. So if I saw -- if I saw 30 snake 'Neath my stoop, I'm out of town. But you're okay with it. You can cohabitate with the snakes? -Oh, I'm happy to know that they're there. -Wow. Which part of that makes you happy? [ Laughter ] -Well, if a burglar comes, maybe they'll be like... You know? "You're not here. You don't go here. We know who does." -Do you have to put some sort of burglar-proofing training on the snakes? Have you thought about that? Because you can't just count on them having an instinct of being able to recognize who lives there and who's there to steal your wares. -That seems like more of a turtle thing. [ Laughter ] -Do you think turtles would be effective, like, burglar-proofing? -These ones, yeah. -These ones? What kind of -- What kind of turtles do you have? -Snappers. Big snappers. -Oh, snappers. Yeah, yeah, yeah. -Gigantic. They'll take your leg off. [ Laughter ] -Kate, this is very exciting. -Do you want to name the jug? Because its name right now is Jug. -Well, I don't know. I feel like I'm going to give it a name and you're going to snap at me and tell me it's not a person again. [ Laughter ] Jack. -Nah, it's not a Jack. [ Laughter ] -First time hosting "SNL." -Yes. -Nervous? -No. It's something I always wanted to do. Like, dream was to be on the show and then dream of dreams, exponential dream was to host the show, which is like, beyond the imagination. -It's really cool. They're going to be very happy to have you back. You have a large breadth of characters I'm sure people are going to want to see again. Are you the kind of person -- I have to ask a question. Are you the kind of person, when you left, did you feel that sort of phantom show starting at 11:30 on Saturday? -Oh, gosh, I mean, I don't know because I'm asleep. I -- [ Laughter ] Well, in the woods, you know, you go to sleep at 9:30, you wake up at 6:30. So I'm on woods time now. -You wake up at 6:30 when you hear the snakes [bleep] under the stairs. [ Laughter ] Because it is -- Yeah. Just like... [ Laughter ] -Okay. -Oh, that's quieter than I thought. -Try not to feel bad. -Oh, is he left out? -Yeah. [ Laughter ] Thinking, "Oh, I can do something else. I'll do -- I'll just hang, I'll hang, I'll hang right here." -Knock on the side and ask if you're done yet. -"Hey. Hey, guys. You want to switch out or...? Nope? Okay." [ Laughter ] -I have, uh... This was exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. I have a lot more questions. Will you stick around and I can ask you those questions? We'll be right back with more Kate McKinnon.