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Slow Burn “SNL” Last Night Dunks on Variety’s “Actors on Actors,” Also Unveils Ashley Padilla as Hottest New Star in Years

By Roger Friedman

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Last night’s “Saturday Night Live” was a slow burn show.

It took some time to ramp up from mildly low energy to some curiously funny sketches.

One highlight: that Ashley Padilla is the new Kate McKinnon, taking over the show very quickly. Wow. She’s setting records for being featured in sketches.

The funniest sketch of the night was a filmed bit, a parody of Variety magazine’s “Actors on Actors.” (See below.) This involves two actors in the various awards races who interview each other with the invisible help of Joe Franklin.

It’s not like “SNL” hasn’t struck gold since McKinnon. Sarah Sherman and Bowen Yang are terrific. But Padilla is fast out of the gate.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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