Josh Brolin stripped down and took an ice bath on 'SNL' — then he dropped an iconic line
Josh Brolin has been a household name ever since he played Thanos, the villain who wiped out half the universe in 'Avengers: Infinity War'. But did you know he stripped down to his underwear while hosting 'Saturday Night Live,' on March 9, 2024? 'The Dune: Part Two' star, who was 56 then, compared hosting the show to taking a cold plunge bath. “You know I’ve been doing cold plunges for 20 years, right?” Brolin asked the audience as he unbuttoned his shirt. “And the only thing I can compare this show to is that. I mean, hosting is like jumping into an ice bath,” Vulture reported.
A crew member then brought out a tin bathtub filled with cold water. As Brolin removed his shirt and jacket, the audience cheered. “Scary, it’s exhilarating, your penis is in your stomach,” he joked, adding, “There’s just no way to prepare for it,” as he took off his pants. “So what you gotta do is just jump right in!” he said. “Surrender to the discomfort!” The crowd continued cheering as he asked, “You ready for this?” Then, he stepped into the bathtub and declared, “I am inevitable!”—a famous line from 'Avengers: Infinity War'. This was Brolin’s third time hosting 'SNL'.The musical guest that night was Ariana Grande, who performed two songs from her album 'Eternal Sunshine.'
During his opening monologue, Brolin reflected on his last time hosting 'SNL' in 2012. “I love being here,” he said. “You know, it’s been 12 years since I last hosted and I’ve missed this place. I mean so much has changed … not really it’s the same,” he joked. He also recalled hosting for the first time in 2008, saying, “The first time I hosted was in 2008, [the] musical guest was someone I’d never heard of before … Adele.”
Brolin also mentioned that he had taken up poetry over the years and brought up a poem he had written about his Dune co-star Timothée Chalamet. “I wrote an apparently super creepy poem about Timothée Chalamet. But I don’t think it’s creepy,” he said. “But you be the judge. Lights!” As the studio lights dimmed and soft piano music played, he recited, “Your face is etched by adolescence. Your cheekbones jut toward what are youth-laden eyes that slide down a prominent nose. And onto lips of a certain poetry.” He added, “I mean it’s weird yeah but, no, I don’t wanna sleep with [Chalamet]. I write poems about everyone I work with,” before sharing another poem about SNL cast member Kenan Thompson.
One of the sketches he performed while hosting 'SNL' was 'Bank Robbery'. Brolin and Heidi Gardner played a couple who unknowingly walked into a bank in the middle of a robbery. Instead of being scared, they acted strangely excited, which confused the robbers. Their unexpected reactions led to hilarious moments, and at one point, Brolin even took off his shirt, sending the audience into laughter. Critics called it one of the best sketches of the night, praising Brolin and Gardner for their great teamwork and comedy, as per Entertainment Weekly.