Will Ferrell pranks 'SNL' viewers with Chad Smith in opening monologue

Will Ferrell is live from New York once again.

The "Saturday Night Live" alum returned to the sketch show for the Season 51 finale on May 16, marking his sixth time serving as host.

After kicking off the show by starring as Jeffrey Epstein's ghost, who reunited with President Trump (James Austin Johnson) in the cold open, Ferrell played a bit of a prank on viewers by having Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith walk out as him for the opening monologue.

Smith began by speaking as if he were Ferrell, saying he was "a cast member here for seven years, and now, I'm hosting for the sixth time! Amazing! It really feels like coming home."

But the "Anchorman" star soon rushed to the stage, dressed in the exact same suit that Smith was wearing. "He pushed me down backstage and I fell, hard," Ferrell said. "Lorne (Michaels) had to give me mouth-to-mouth!"

Fully committing to the bit, this premise essentially took over Ferrell's entire monologue, as the comedian then acted like he was too thrown off by what happened to get back into the groove.

The night's musical guest, Paul McCartney, also got involved. The Beatles legend was sitting in the audience and had a question to ask Ferrell: "What do you think you're doing, Chad?"

This was the first time Ferrell has hosted "SNL" since 2019. He was previously a cast member on the show from 1995 to 2002, famously portraying George W. Bush.

The "SNL" season finale also featured the surprise return of another alum. In a sketch where Ferrell played a drama teacher casting a school musical, former "SNL" cast member Molly Shannon popped up as a hilariously overdramatic choir teacher. Ferrell previously starred in a version of this sketch that was cut for time in 2019.

Near the end of the night, Ferrell also bared all in a sketch about a man who goes to visit his girlfriend's parents and finds that their backsides are entirely exposed when they turn around.

Ferrell's episode was the show's last before its annual summer hiatus. "SNL" will return with a new season in the fall.