“I wanted to watch the show beginning to end”: Dan Aykroyd reveals why he missed the 50th Anniversary of Saturday Night Live

For most Saturday Night Live fans, Dan Aykroyd’s name sits right at the top of the show’s legacy. As one of the original cast members from its 1975 debut, Aykroyd helped define what SNL was—and still is. Alongside John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, and Jane Curtin, he laid the groundwork for sketch comedy on American television. So when the 50th anniversary special aired earlier this year and Aykroyd wasn’t among the dozens of returning faces, it didn’t go unnoticed.

Now, speaking from Entertainment Weekly’s video studio at Comic-Con 2025, Aykroyd has explained exactly why he skipped the big reunion. He didn’t have a falling-out with producers or an issue with the format. Instead, he simply wanted to be a viewer.

“I wanted to watch the show beginning to end,” he said.

Not in a green room, not waiting backstage. Just sitting at home, in his own space, with popcorn, family, and no interruptions.

It wasn’t a passive decision either. Dan Aykroyd still watches SNL religiously and has a deep affection for the current cast. To him, this wasn’t about nostalgia for his own era, but an appreciation for what the show has become.

By choosing to stay home, he got to relive the show the way audiences experience it—live and uninterrupted. That decision, according to him, gave him the full emotional weight of the night, especially during a tribute segment that brought back a flood of memories.

Dan Aykroyd spoke in detail about the rest of his reaction. This included the emotional moment that caught him off guard and how a former castmate’s segment affected him personally. More on that below.

Dan Aykroyd opens up about missing SNL 50 and the moment that made him emotional

Dan Aykroyd didn’t just want to “catch” the SNL 50 special—he wanted to live it in real time, exactly as millions of viewers did.

“If I was there, I’d be in a dressing room, I’d be working,” he told Entertainment Weekly during a stop at Comic-Con 2025. “I wanted to see it live.”

That meant no rehearsals, no time backstage, no brief cameo squeezed between set changes. For Aykroyd, it was about preserving the full experience—unfiltered and uninterrupted.

The original cast reunion brought back many familiar faces, including Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman. The two shared the stage with newer players like Pete Davidson.

One sketch in particular, where Newman reminisced while Davidson’s Chad character replied with his usual “Okay,” stood out to Aykroyd. But the part that hit hardest came during the closing moments.

Newman and Curtin held up a photo of the late Gilda Radner during the farewell, and it hit Aykroyd hard.

“Lorraine’s piece definitely,” he said when asked what made him emotional. “That was beautiful. That was wonderful.”

Radner, who passed away in 1989, had been one of Dan Aykroyd’s closest colleagues during the original run.

That brief, wordless tribute—just a photo held between two of her friends—struck a chord. Watching it from home, Aykroyd got the space to react honestly.

“I just wanted to see and live nostalgically with my family in my own home,” he said. “Eating my own popcorn.”

Dan Aykroyd also made it clear he’s still a fan of the show’s current direction.

“I love these new players; I think they’re just great,” he said.

Choosing not to appear wasn’t about stepping away—it was about watching the celebration as a fan, not a fixture. For someone who helped build the show, that says a lot.

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