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On the latest episode of Saturday Night Live (SNL), Gladiator II star Paul Mescal impersonated one of Ireland's key figures, U2's lead singer Bono.
It happened during a sketch about the red carpet for the new Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown. A BuzzFeed reporter, played by Heidi Gardner, interviews Bob Dylan (James Austin Johnson), Timothée Chalamet (Chloe Fineman), and Bruce Springsteen (Andrew Dismukes).
After talking about “brat” summers, bratwurst, and buffet lines with Dylan and Chalamet, Springsteen crashes the interview. Shortly after, U2 singer Bono (Paul Mescal) makes his way to the carpet with tiramisu.
“Bob, you have to try the tiramisu,” he says. “It comes in a shot glass, and they give you a tiny spoon.”
He is then asked by the reporter if he had a “brat” summer. SNL took a playful jab at the U2 singer's activism as Bono began talking about climate change. The joke culminates in him watching a documentary called Hot Frosty, a new Netflix Christmas comedy.
“I didn't have a brat summer,” Bono said. “I could not possibly because of the sweltering heat brought on by climate change. We must act now. I just saw a documentary about the devastating effects of global warming; it was called Hot Frosty.”
The sketch ends with Dylan, Bono, and Springsteen being asked to rank Rory Gilmore's boyfriends from Gilmore Girls. They all replied, “Jess, Logan, Dean.”
To his credit, Mescal looked and sounded the part of Bono. He wore his signature round sunglasses, black denim jacket, and a long necklace.
U2 and Bono's history on SNL
Previously, the real U2 has performed on SNL several times. Their first time as musical guests was on December 9, 2000. They performed songs from All That You Can't Leave Behind, “Beautiful Day,” and “Elevation.”
Four years later, they would return for the Thanksgiving show. After performing “Vertigo” and “Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own” from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, they performed one of their signature songs, “I Will Follow.” After the show went off the air, U2 played “All Because of You” and “Vertigo” again.
U2 returned to Studio 8H in 2009. They performed “Breathe,” “Moment of Surrender,” “Ultraviolet (Light My Way),” and “With or Without You.”
Their last appearance (for now) was in 2017 during the promotional tour for Songs of Experience. They performed “Get Out of Your Own Way” and “American Soul” from the album.
Currently, U2 is enjoying a break after their blockbuster Sphere residency. They opened the venue and performed 40 shows there from September 2023 to March 2024.
