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Jake Gyllenhaal Becomes Chucky's HR Manager in This Hilarious SNL Halloween Sketch
Sarah Sherman breathes new life into the murderous doll formed from an ancient curse and a lightning strike.
As Halloween creeps around the corner, Saturday Night Live fans delight in reliving some of the most side-splitting sketches. From David S. Pumpkins to Weekend Update's festive segments, no one can deny SNL shines bright during the spooky season. Case in point: the "Chucky" digital short that became a viral smash after Jake Gyllenhaal hosted SNL in April 2022.
Cast member Sarah Sherman made waves with her portrayal of the horror icon after bringing the murderous doll Chucky to life with a bizarre, comedic twist of the knife. Sherman's unique sense of absurdism was on full display as she — with the help of some CGI silliness — injected a new layer of chaotic energy into the Child's Play franchise by transforming into a hyperactive, foul-mouthed version of Chucky on SNL. The humor in the sketch lies in the absurdity of seeing Chucky dilly-dallying in the mundane after the vengeful doll was called into an HR meeting after attacking his coworkers.
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But HR manager Gyllenhaal would soon reveal the true villain — or victim? — within the office was a pesky coworker, Janet. Watch the full sketch, above.
Jake Gyllenhaal had his work cut out for him with "Chucky" in the office
"Chucky" begins like many horror films, as three unsuspecting coworkers (Melissa Villaseñor, Ego Nwodim, and Chloe Fineman) gossip in the bathroom about their frustrating coworker, Janet. After complaining about Janet running through the halls and eating tuna for lunch daily, they moved on to Janet's creepy quietness.
"Yesterday, when we were carpooling, I completely forgot she was in the car because she didn't say a word the whole time," Nwodim dished. "Then all of a sudden, she just pops up in the back seat out of nowhere, like Chucky!"
The women laughed until they heard a toilet flush behind them. Oh no — could it be Janet? The women waited as the stall slowly opened, and the camera panned down to reveal that it was not Janet but Sherman's Chucky. As Chucky slowly sauntered over the sink, the women apologized for not realizing he was there.
"Did you hear us talking?" Villaseñor's Megan nervously asked.
"No, not really," Chucky said before menacingly adding, "Only the part where you compared me to Janet, you filthy sl*ts! You're not going to mess with me!"
After losing his cool and running at his coworkers with a knife in the restroom, it didn't take long for Gyllenhaal's HR manager to call the disheveled women and Chucky into a conference room.
"I know no one likes getting called into an HR meeting, but given what happened this morning, I felt it was necessary," Gyllenhaal explained. "Chucky, as you know, we have a company policy against stabbing your coworkers in the legs with a knife. But ladies we also have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to bullying. What you said about Chucky was uncalled for."
"Especially comparing him to Janet," Gyllenhaal hilariously added. "Who we all know sucks."
"I'm sorry," Aidy Bryant's Janet piped up from the corner. "Why do I have to be here?"
"To take notes, Janet," Gyllenhaal snapped, adding, "Idiot. OK. So how can we stop this kind of thing from happening in the future?"
Chucky didn't make the intervention easy, insisting on putting his coworkers in body bags and hurling inappropriate comments their way. It's unclear how Chucky landed his corporate position, as his murderous instincts were as strong as ever as he stabbed the HR manager in the leg in the middle of the deliberation.
"You see," one of the women said, "He doesn't belong here!"
"Yes, he does," Gyllenhaal insisted. "Each of us has a different story. Megan, you have a background in PR. Peggy, you were in the military."
"And Chucky," he continued, earning a snarl from Sherman's doll. "You did an ancient voodoo curse that, when combined with a lightning strike, transferred your soul to the body of a doll. That's something that no one else here can say."
"He's not even listening," Peggy snapped.
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Gyllenhaal then realized Chucky was spinning his head around a-la The Exorcist while chanting, "Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow."
"Well, I think we're making progress," Gyllenhaal said hopefully.
"Look!" Megan pointed as Chucky lit two sticks of dynamite and began maniacally laughing.
"Oh my God!" Gyllenhaal exclaimed before he glared at Janet instead. "Janet, are you eating tuna right now?"
Just as Janet asked what was happening, the building exploded, and Chucky's head flew from the inferno with a crazed expression. Between the ridiculous punchline and the impressive CGI magic, Sherman's "Chucky" sketch confidently joins a pantheon of iconic SNL Halloween sketches.
Watch the hilarious sketch from Season 48, Episode 17 above, and stream all 50 seasons of SNL on Peacock anytime.
