Dave Grohl Reveals How He Told Christopher Walken to Pronounce Foo Fighters on SNL
‘He’s gonna do it, he’s gonna do it," Grohl recounted thinking in Peacock's SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night.
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl opened up about never-before-seen moment he shared with Academy Award-winning actor Christopher Walken, and SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night has the footage to back him up.
The rock musician appeared in Episode 3 of the Peacock docuseries, available to stream now, to talk about the now famous “More Cowbell” sketch (Season 25, air date April 8, 2000) starring Saturday Night Live Host Walken and Will Ferrell. Grohl noted the parody was “basically immortalized” in TV history.
“The cowbell is not something to be f----d with,” the former Nirvana drummer joked in the docuseries.
Three years later, Walken introduced Foo Fighters for their SNL musical debut (Season 28, air date: February 22, 2003). And Grohl recounted an unforgettable face-to-face moment with the seven-time SNL host.
Dave Grohl describes meeting Christopher Walken
Grohl remembered meeting Walken at the studio, employing his best imitation of Walken’s distinctive speaking style in the process.
RELATED: How Christopher Walken "Truly Surprised" Will Ferrell During SNL's "More Cowbell" Sketch
“We got to meet him for the first time at Saturday Night Live,” he recalled. “Before introducing the band, he asked me if the accent was on ‘Foo’ or ‘Fighters.’”
Beyond Saturday Night shared a flashback of the moment, which showed a suited Walken discussing the upcoming intro with the band members. The moment occurred between sketches when Grohl softly offered, “I think Foo Fighters is the best,” placing the accent on the first syllable of Fighters (when fans know the emphasis goes on Foo).
In past interviews, such as his September 28, 2017 sit-down on Radio X, Grohl admitted to purposefully misplacing an accent there
“And, so, we’re standing there on the stage as we’re about to go to air, and I’m like, ‘He’s gonna do it, he’s gonna do it, he’s gonna f-----g do it! Pin-drop silence, and he says, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, Foo Fighters,’” he continued in Beyond Saturday Night.
Grohl couldn't help but laugh reminiscing over the once-in-a-lifetime moment in which Walken, as instructed, pronounced the band’s name in a way only Walken could.
A noteworthy reunion
Foo Fighters and Walken have been, independently, among the more regular guests to grace Studio 8H with their presence: The band has appeared nine times, and Walken has hosted on seven occasions.
More recently, in Season 49 (air date: October 28, 2023), Foo Fighters returned to perform its hits “Rescued” and “The Glass.” Walken made a delightfully eccentric comeback after 15 years away from the SNL stage and, for the second time, introduced Foo Fighters as the episode's Musical Guests.
Walken recreated the inflection he used in 2003 and wore a gray coat and black shirt, identical to what he wore the first time he introduced the band.
For the latter part of the SNL episode, Foo Fighters were introduced by Host Nate Bargatze.
