After nine seasons on Saturday Night Live, cast member Kyle Mooney made his emotional exit during the season 47 finale alongside castmates Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant and Pete Davidson. Dubbed Kyle “Cut-For-Time” Mooney by his fans, Mooney’s unique brand of humor and serious acting chops brought a hilarious, self-deprecating voice to the venerable comedy show.
Mooney first cut his comedy teeth with fellow SNL cast member Beck Bennett on the popular YouTube Channel “Good Neighbor Stuff”. His unique style followed him to SNL and offered him a distinct opportunity to become especially endeared to some of SNL’s most devoted viewers. Though fans joke that Mooney’s sketches were often “cut for time”, his most iconic moments will ensure that he remains a beloved SNL veteran. For now, fans can keep Mooney in their comedy-diet by streaming his nostalgic and zany Netflix show, Saturday Morning All Star Hits.
Beers
In a sketch co-starring host Larry David and Beck Bennett, Mooney uses his nostalgic sensibilities to parody the awful, cheesy drama of '90s sitcoms. “Beers” features a visit from Cousin CJ, played by David, with funny visuals like the way Mooney’s character hysterically reacted to CJ’s drunken chair slinging. Viewers will remember the sketch for the way it perfectly nailed the time period’s bad acting and outlandish plot lines.
“Beers” plays to Mooney’s knack for delivering an authentic portrayal of a seriously untalented actor and offers the audience a lens into the things that make Mooney laugh. There is a clear appreciation in Mooney’s performance that illustrates his affinity for eras gone by. The sketch didn’t exactly match SNL’s typical kooky TV parodies, like “The Californians”, but rather allowed Mooney to play a diverse mix of subtlety and great exaggeration.
Kyle and Leslie
Mooney’s time at SNL proved that he was a king of pre-tape sketches, likely thanks to his YouTube days. Mooney’s signature self-deprecating pre-tape with Leslie Jones, in which the two played intense, outlandish versions of themselves, created a hilarious and heart-felt fictional love-story. Physical and personality opposites, Mooney and Jones proved to be a dream-team.
A key to Mooney’s talent is the layered sincerity he brings to even his wackiest characters. While his romance with Jones was fake, viewers of the classic sketch could easily be led to believe that sweet Kyle was truly head-over-heels for bold Leslie. Mooney’s genius lies in his commitment to deliver a straight-face in largely exaggerated scenarios.
Brothers
Long-time friends Mooney and Bennett played two chaotic and needy kid-brothers in this standout sketch featuring host Liev Schreiber. SNL fans will remember how the two wore only goofy Looney Tunes T-shirts and “whitey-tighties” while arguing like toddlers and getting violently sprayed with a garden hose.
Bennett and Mooney’s chemistry made their roles as the bratty brothers completely memorable and the two proved that they had classic physical comedy chops. Though the pair came up through the early days of YouTube, “Brothers” was a bold Mooney and Bennett sketch that felt like a nod to the early days of SNL. With Kyle Mooney’s season 47 exit, fans wonder when they’ll see him gloriously reunite with Bennett on screen.
Kyle vs. Kanye
In another glowing example of Mooney’s brilliant, high-key sincerity, “Kyle vs. Kanye”, Mooney finds himself in a plot to hold a rap battle against musical guest Kanye West. In the sketch, Mooney fancies himself to possess a giggle-inducing amount of hip-hop talent and feels confident that he can out-rap one of the greatest rappers of all time.
Mooney’s highly believable portrayal of a wannabe rap star allowed him to exhibit an unfathomable lack of self-awareness, made funnier by the fact that the real Mooney is clearly exceptionally aware that he’d stand no chance of ever comparing to Ye. The slow build of Mooney’s preparation for the battle ending with a blood-bath rap-royale makes the sketch a legendary piece of SNL history.
Amusement Park
In a great capture of the awkward, teenage years, Mooney shines in the sketch dubbed “Amusement Park” as a painfully rejected fifth wheel. Ranked as one of the best SNL sketches of 2021, “Amusement Park” featured host Nick Jonas, Heidi Gardner, Mikey Day, Ego Nwodim and Mooney as a group of teens planning how to pair up for a log flume ride. Mooney’s character, Cuck, is left in the cold, forced to ride with an oversized stuffed doll of the Joe Gardner character from the animated movie Soul.
Mooney is skilled at playing absurdly embarrassing characters, but he always leaves viewers laughing and feeling sorry for him. “Amusement Park” had memorable visuals of Cuck begrudgingly cuddled up with the Joe Gardner doll on what could’ve been an otherwise romantic encounter with Heidi Gardner or Ego Nwodim’s characters. Though the outcome of the sketch was predictable, Mooney kept it fresh by playing up unexpressed frustration.
A New Kyle
In another transcendental pre-tape, “A New Kyle” shows Mooney’s SNL persona playing a game of catch-up with the show’s breakout star, Pete Davidson. The sketch pokes fun at Davidson’s headline-making life and has Mooney mimicking Davidson’s hairstyle and celebrity girlfriend which ushered in a funny and surprising cameo from talk show host Wendy Williams.
Fans love underrated Kyle Mooney exactly as he is, but they truly appreciate the way his “Kyle” character always seems to be chasing some unattainable dream. Pre-tapes like “A New Kyle” masterfully grasps at the viewer’s heartstrings while creating funny, wild attempts at success and acceptance. The sketch is a refreshing acknowledgement of the real-life way Davidson’s fame overshadowed his fellow castmates.
Dancing
Mooney devotees recognized “Dancing” as a near perfect copy of a similar YouTube sketch created by Good Neighbor Stuff, but it re-gained fresh life on SNL. Paired again with Beck Bennett, the sketch has Mooney delivering some sub-par dance moves with an over-inflated confidence. Second-by-second Bennett aids Mooney in a super quick rise and fall from fame.
Mooney’s signature sketches often feature quick timelines and “Dancing” offers a clean, crisp, funny take on a major lack of self-consciousness. Mooney’s humor was always a bit more offbeat than most SNL alumni and he could expertly execute simple ideas like the common aspiration to possess talent. When compared to Chris Farley’s classic “Chippendale’s Audition” sketch, Mooney’s “Dancing” holds it’s own with a great pace and intentionally underwhelming effort.
Miley Wedding Tape
Similar to Mooney’s “Kyle and Leslie” pre-tape sketch, “Miley Wedding Tape” poked fun at host Miley Cyrus’s colorful, rebellious personality and Mooney’s quirky, slightly-nerdy persona. The sketch played in a quick, dream-like sequence as Mooney bemoaned all of the terrible downsides of Marrying Cyrus (which were actually pretty desirable) to pals Beck Bennett and Bobby Moynihan.
Pre-tapes like “Miley Wedding Tape” show the playful and endearing sides of Mooney, as it leads viewers down a rabbit hole of fun, unexpected twists and turns. Mooney’s way of playing exaggerated frustration brought a satisfying brattiness to the oddball persona he created on SNL. The “Miley” sketch, displayed a creative power sure to lend itself to Kyle Mooney's success as an SNL alum.
Inside SoCal
A San-Diego native, Mooney perfectly captured a quintessential Southern California dude as he played Todd, co-host of public access show “Inside SoCal”. The “Inside SoCal” sketches were originated during Mooney and Bennett’s YouTube days and offered SNL fans a delightfully awkward, true-to-life departure from it’s traditional over-the-top pre-taped sketches.
“Inside SoCal” proved to be a subversive staple for fans that discovered Mooney via SNL. Armed with a tremendous knack for comedy through subtlety, Mooney’s Todd could induce laughter with only a slight pause in his speech or with his eyes darting, unsure where to look. Mooney’s comedic style is that of a keen observer and his impression of a So Cal guy was definitely “super gangster”, as Todd would say.
Beck and Kyle
In one of the most memorable sketches of recent years, this elaborate follow-up to “Kyle and Leslie” offered viewers a terrific parody of life behind-the-scenes at SNL. The sketch brings the audience on Bennett’s quest to re-ignite his close friendship with Mooney as his relationship with Jones flourishes. “Beck and Kyle” offered a window into the history of their real-life friendship and features a cameo from SNL creator/producer Lorne Michaels.
Though the sketch ends with Colin Jost being repeated punched in the face, the heartwarming takeaway is the real-life adoration and friendship of Mooney and Bennett, which serves as the basis for the satire. With a top-notch masquerade ball set, quality acting, and an underlying sweetness, “Beck and Kyle” remains an all-time fan favorite sketch from Mooney’s time at SNL.