Adrien Brody addresses claims he was ‘banned’ from TV show for majorly controversial skit

Adrien Brody has spoken about his supposed 'ban' from one of TV's most popular comedy shows for the first time.

The 51-year-old actor became a Golden Globe winner on Sunday evening (5 January) for his work in the 2024 three-hour epic, The Brutalist.

Directed by Brady Corbet, the period film follows a Hungarian-Jewish architect who escapes to America during WWII to build a new life for his family.

But more than 20 years ago, the actor broke onto the scene as the youngest ever actor to win an Oscar for his role in The Pianist, aged just 29. And shortly after, he was given his first TV work.

Brody was called up, like many celebrities before and after him, to host Saturday Night Live on NBC back in May 2003.

But this would be the last time that the American actor was called up to host the iconic comedy skit show.

Then 30-years-old, Brody brought the show to millions at home, live from New York, though an incident in the episode has often been pointed to as the reason behind his supposed 'ban'.

Adrien Brody didn't go home empty handed from this year's Golden Globes (Rich Polk/GG2025/Penske Media via Getty Images)

When introducing guest music act Sean Paul, who is from Kingston Jamaica, Brody infamously wore a dreadlock wig and announced Paul with an exaggerated Jamaican accent.

It's been 22 years since that mishap, and many think it's why Brody has not been back on the show.

But now, Brody has addressed rumours of his ban from SNL, telling Vulture that he didn't think that producers went out of their way to ban him, adding 'but I also have never been invited back on so I don’t know what to tell you'.

Speaking about the rehearsals, where he practiced introducing Paul, he recalled: "I think Lorne [Michaels, SNL creator] wasn’t happy with me embellishing a bit, but they allowed me to.

"I thought that was a safe space to do that, weirdly."

It didn't sit well with many viewers (NBC)

The moment has been removed from all of SNL's official pages, making it near impossible to find online.

Regardless of what happened that night though, Brody has gone on to have a successful acting career, and is now in line for an Oscar nomination for his role in The Brutalist, which took home Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director for Brady Corbet at the Golden Globes over the weekend.

Maybe a second Oscar win would nudge SNL executives to give the veteran actor a ring?

LADbible has reached out to NBC Universal for comment.