Indian-American Aziz Ansari to be SNL's first South Asian host

January 11, 2017 21:42

Well-known Indian-American comedian and television star Aziz Ansari will host NBC's television sketch comedy and variety show Saturday Night Live on January 21, making history as its first host of South Asian descent.

The news comes on the heels of a big year for 33-year-old Ansari. The standup comic and television star won his first Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series after earning a total of four nominations for his Netflix series Master of None, The Washington Post reported.

His nomination for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series was the first for an Indian American.

"I'm very happy but it's a very specific accomplishment," he told USA Today about the historic nod.

Other Saturday Night Live hosts of Asian descent include Lucy Liu and Jackie Chan, who both hosted the show in 2000, according to an IndieWire examination of all 826 hosts in Saturday Night Live history.

Bruno Mars and Fred Armisen, who are multiracial, have also hosted.

Ansari had mentioned wanting to appear on Saturday Night Live when he brought his Bobby Jindal impression to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in November 2015.

"I finally look like a guy!" Ansari joked, adding that he had hoped the Louisiana governor's presidential candidacy would lead to his big Saturday Night Live break.

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