Bowen Yang’s ‘proud gay Oompa Loompa’ pokes fun at Timothée Chalamet’s ‘Twink Wonka’
Oompa loompa doompety doo, I have a perfect “Saturday Night Live” segment for you.
During this weekend’s episode of “SNL,” hosted by “No Time to Die” actor Rami Malek with musical guest Young Thug, fan-favorite cast member Bowen Yang delivered a crowd-pleasing impression of a “proud, gay Oompa Loompa” while poking fun at Timothée Chalamet’s Willy Wonka.
Rising movie star Chalamet is the latest actor to portray the eccentric candy-maker in “Wonka,” an upcoming prequel based on Roald Dahl’s classic “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
“A photo of Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka ... went viral this week, with many on social media calling him a ‘Twink Willy Wonka,’” said “Weekend Update” co-anchor Colin Jost, referring to a buzzy image of the 25-year-old heartthrob rocking a milk chocolate-brown top hat and red velvet coat on the set of “Wonka.”
“Here to comment on this is a proud, gay Oompa Loompa.”
Enter Yang, who looked nearly unrecognizable under burnt orange face makeup, bushy gray eyebrows and a voluminous green wig fit for — well — an Oompa Loompa.
“How did you just introduce me?” he asked Jost. “You just outed me on national television. ... I actually came here to make a statement about our impending factory strike, but now I guess I gotta call my parents.”
Asked by Jost if his parents would be “upset” about his sexuality, Yang’s Oompa Loompa gave the guffawing audience some insight into his hometown of “Loompa Land,” which apparently is “not as progressive.”
“They, like, just got ‘Will & Grace,’” he quipped. “Yeah, it’s gonna be a conversation.”
‘Saturday Night Live’ host Rami Malek and cast member Pete Davidson track-suited up for a parody of Netflix’s smash hit survival drama, ‘Squid Game.’
Then it was the Oompa Loompa’s turn to out Willy Wonka as an oppressive employer who subjects his staff to “unsafe working conditions,” despite his deceptively “scrum-diddly-umptious” appearance.
“This ‘Twink Wonka,’ or ‘Twonka,’ may look as yummy as lickable wallpaper, but make no mistake ... the man doesn’t know how to make chocolate, OK?” he said.
“He’s an ideas man who’s never touched a machine. He just tumbles into the inventing room and says something like, ‘Oh, what about a gumdrop that makes children dream silly dreams?’ And it’s like, ‘Yeah, b—. What about it?’ Meanwhile, we’re up all night rehearsing the little song and dance we do when a child dies.”
Judging by the boisterous reception from the live studio audience, Yang’s proud, gay Oompa Loompa is destined to go down in “SNL” history as one of his most cherished “Weekend Update” personas — right next to his unforgettable performance as the iceberg that sank the Titanic.
Be a fly on the wall as the two performers settle into a revealing chat.
That viral turn — along with other standout moments from the 46th season of the long-running sketch comedy program — earned Yang an Emmy nomination this year for supporting actor in a comedy series.
Just two years after making the most of his “SNL” debut as a featured player in 2019, Yang was promoted to the series’ main cast for its 47th season, which premiered earlier this month.
The next episode of “SNL,” hosted by “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis with musical guest Brandi Carlile, airs Oct. 23 on NBC.
The complete guide to home viewing
Get Screen Gab for everything about the TV shows and streaming movies everyone’s talking about.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
