Veteran comedian Bill Murray has come to the defense of the current "Saturday Night Live" cast, pushing back against critics who claim the show's quality has declined since its early days.
During his appearance on the "New Heights" podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce, Murray, who was an "SNL" cast member from 1977 to 1980, addressed the common criticism head-on.
"People always give me a hard time about, 'Oh, the original show was so great and it's lousy now,'" Murray shared. "And I say, 'No, it's not.' The show that's on now, they do stuff that's just as good as anybody ever did, all the time."
The "Ghostbusters" star also revealed his plans to return to Studio 8H for the show's upcoming 50th anniversary celebration. Murray expressed interest in hosting an episode this season, noting it could be his final time taking the reins.
During the podcast conversation, Murray took a moment to reminisce about what he considers the show's greatest hosting performance - Ray Charles in November 1977. The actor praised Charles's exceptional preparation and versatility during his appearance.
"Ray Charles knew all his lines cold," Murray recalled. "He played solo, he played with The Raelettes, he played with his scepter and he played with the 'Saturday Night Live' orchestra."
Murray admitted feeling so overwhelmed by Charles's talent that he felt unworthy of sharing the stage with the legendary musician during the show's closing moments.
The comedian's defense of the current "SNL" cast comes as the long-running sketch comedy show approaches its milestone 50th season, demonstrating his continued support for the program that helped launch his career in entertainment.