Dave Grohl Intentionally Told Christopher Walken to Mispronounce ‘Foo Fighters’ in Infamous SNL Moment

One of the many infamous Saturday Night Live on-air slip-ups took place in 2003, when guest host Christopher Walken specularly mispronounced the Foo Fighters’ name as he introduced the band as the musical guest. But in a new interview with Dave Grohl, he reveals that he was the one to ask Walken to pronounce it that way.

In the new Peacock docuseries SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, the Nirvana alum, 56, shared an anecdote about how Walken, 81, came to accent “Foo” instead of “Fighters” when the band performed on the variety show in February 2003.

“We got to meet him for the first time at Saturday Night Live,” Grohl said in an interview, per Entertainment Weekly. “Before introducing the band, he asked me if the accent was on ‘Foo’ or ‘Fighters.’ “

In archival footage of Walken’s 2003 SNL appearance, the Severance actor can be seen chatting with Grohl and his bandmates before they begin filming a promo video. Just before they begin filming, Walken turns to them and asks them: “What’s the emphasis? ‘Foo Fighters’ or ‘Foo Fighters?’ “

Grohl replies as a joke: “Foo Fighters‘ is the best.”

In his interview, the drummer said he realized that his joke had worked as the band was getting ready to step onstage and go live.

“We were standing there on the stage as we were about to go to air, and I’m like, ‘Oh, he’s gonna do it! He’s gonna do it! He’s gonna f—— do it!’ ” he said. “Pin-drop silence, and he says, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, Foo Fighters.’ “

More than 20 years later in October 2023, Walken made a cameo on SNL as comedian Nate Bargatze hosted and the Foo Fighters performed — so of course, he had to introduce the band again, with the correct pronunciation this time.

SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night features tons of the sketch series’ alums and guests discussing some of the long running show’s greatest moments. One part of the docuseries features a discussion amongst Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, and more as they reflected on the viral success that was the iconic “More Cowbell” sketch.

Fallon recalled of the hilarious sketch: “You hope for one of these things. It’s like lightning in a bottle. It rarely happens, where you have a catchphrase that takes off.”

“If you do something on sketch TV and people like it and are applauding it and laughing at it the second or tenth time, that’s just a thrill,” said Dana Carvey, who also featured in the episode and watched the audience react to the sketch in real time.

Fallon continued, “I remember, coming off of that, it almost felt like we had went to camp together or something. We grew up together. We had just had an experience.”

Fans can delve into the history of the late-night sketch comedy staple by watching SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, now streaming on Peacock.