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The SNL Cast's Moms Are Funny Too in the Sweet Mother's Day Cold Open

The women who gave us Bowen Yang, Chloe Fineman, and Marcello Hernández delivered the punchlines in SNL's Mother's Day tradition.

By Samantha Vincenty

While it doesn't happen every year, getting to meet the mothers who made the Saturday Night Live cast is a long-running tradition. The custom was revived at the top of Maya Rudolph's May 11 episode, in which we got to meet the Season 49 cast's (gorgeous!) moms. And as it turns out, they're just as funny as their kids.

How to Watch

Watch Saturday Night Live Saturdays at 11:30/10:30c on NBC and next day on Peacock.  

"With so many upsetting stories in the world right now, we thought we would take a break from a regular cold open, and hear some heartwarming stories from our moms instead," Kenan Thompson said, his mother Elizabeth standing next to him. 

"Really? That's too bad. I was excited to see who was going to play Stormy Daniels," Thompson's mom cracked. 

Next up was Andrew Dismukes' mom, who brought a few photos of the cast member in the bathtub as a baby—and at age 23. "It's a tasteful nude!" she insisted, as Dismukes hustled her offstage.

RELATED: Watch Maya Rudolph's SNL Sketches and "Mother" Monologue from May 11

Watch SNL's Mother's Day 2024 cold open above.

The cast of Saturday Night Live Season 49 pose together for a promotional shot

The SNL cast's mothers delivered killer punchlines

The cold open also introduced us to the mothers of Chloe Fineman (who nailed a Tom Brady joke), Punkie Johnson (who called her daughter "sweet, funny, and stronger than any man I've ever met"), Mikey Day, and Chloe Troast, whose mom served up a low-key burn.

"Aw, I love watching you on the show, honey. It's the best part of my Sunday," Troast's mother told her.

"Wait. You watch the show on Sunday?" her daughter said, confused.

"Doesn't everybody watch it on Sunday? I mean, Saturdays I'm in the club," she retorted.

RELATED: Maya Rudolph's Mother Minnie Riperton Sang Songs You Definitely Know

Molly Kearney and her mom both sported bald heads ("it's going to make this our dumbest Christmas card photo ever"), while Michael Longfellow's mama hilariously distanced herself from the sketches her son bombs. Devon Walker's mom roasted her son, joking that he was the "I love corn" kid, while master impressionist James Austin Johnson got a taste of his own medicine. 

Ego Nwodim's mom jokingly chided her for not becoming a doctor, and we even got to see Colin Jost and his mom in "matching haircuts." And Sarah Sherman's mom foreshadowed her daughter's turn as RFK Jr.'s brain worm on "Weekend Update."

Marcello Hernández's mom joked that Michael Che gave her flowers

Marcello Hernández's mother, who inspired his recurring "Protective Mom" sketches starring Pedro Pascal, might've stolen the show. 

"You grew up so fast, but not so high," she told her son. 

"All the male cast members have been so nice to me," she continued. "Michael Che even gave me flowers! But the note was just a phone number." 

Pedro Pascal on Saturday Night Live

After Please Don't Destroy's fictional deadbeat dads made an appearance, Bowen Yang's sweet mom said, "We are from all over the country, but we have one thing in common: We love our children with all our heart."

There were a lot of lucky — and funny — people on the Studio 8H stage last night.