For the traditional curtain call at the end of tonight’s episode of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, host John Mulaney came out wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with the name HAL. It was a tribute to longtime SNL sketch music producer Hal Willner who died in April of complications related to COVID-19. He was 64.
Former SNL writer Mulaney was among a slew of former and current SNL-ers who were featured in a video segment honoring Willner, which aired on the show days after his death. Mulaney spoke of “wonderful friend” Willner in the video, in which everyone shared touching memories about Willner’s decades on the show. It also featured a music tribute to the song Perfect Day by frequent Willner collaborator Lou Reed as well as clips of Willner himself talking about his work.