Secret Word is a skit on Saturday Night Live that stars Bill Hader as Lyle Round, an old-fashioned game show host of the show, "Secret Word," in which two contestants must guess hidden words based on clues from their celebrity partners and is identical to the game, "Password." One of his contestants is always Broadway star and washed-up actress, Mindy Grayson, played by Kristen Wiig. Mindy is overly dramatic and whenever she tries to describe the secret word, she immediately says the word, using the excuse that she's an actress and she reads what's in front of her.
For the November 19, 2016 episode, Grant Choad (Kenan Thompson) replaced Round as host; a "telephone message" by Round explained that he'd retired, and said Choad is the "first ever black game show host" because he auditioned over the phone.
Appearances[]
- November 21, 2009 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt as South American singing sensation Ricardo Cansadas (1965)
- March 13, 2010 - Jude Law as Russian ballet star Vladimir Kuchev (1967)
- October 9, 2010 - Jane Lynch as comedienne Peggy Zellers (1964)
- January 15, 2011 - Gwyneth Paltrow as racist magazine writer and socialite Titsy Bismark Dublinson (1964)
- May 21, 2011 - Justin Timberlake as mentalist and hypnotist The Mysterious Crandell (1964)
- November 12, 2011 - Emma Stone as Georgian ventriloquist Charlene Stumphries who just won Miss America. She brought her dummy Mr. Pickles. (1964)
- February 4, 2012 - Channing Tatum as U.S. astronaut Buster Allright (1967)
- May 19, 2012 - Mick Jagger as action movie star Chaz Bragman (1964)
- November 19, 2016 - Episode host Kristen Wiig reprised her role as Mindy Gracin; the other guest was Italian movie star Isabella Lolacopolla, played by Cecily Strong. Bill Hader's Lyle Round is replaced with Grant Choad, played by Kenan Thompson. (1964)
- December 19, 2020 - Episode host Kristen Wiig reprised her role as Mindy Grayson; the other guest was Austrian-American actress and part-time recluse Elka Legerdi, played by Kate McKinnon. (1963)
Trivia[]
- The Secret Word skit spoofs the real-world contest Password. On September 13, 1966 guest Bea Benadaret accidentally said the secret word.[1]
- On NBC.com, Joseph-Gordon Levitt's video is falsely titled Gwyneth Paltrow.
- On YouTube. Gwyneth Paltrow's character's name is misspelled as Titsie Bismarck Tumlinson in the description, the Jude Law video was Kristen Wiig's name instead, and the Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jane Lynch, Channing Tatum, and Justin Timberlake videos have their characters' names instead of their own.
- These are the partners of both Mindy and the guest respectively.
- November 21, 2009 - Will Forte and Jenny Slate
- March 13, 2010 - Kenan Thompson and Fred Armisen
- The contestants' names are revealed, also respectively: Lenny Doyle and Dan Durnst
- October 9, 2010 - Fred Armisen and Paul Brittain
- January 15, 2011 - Taran Killam and Kenan Thompson
- Thompson's character is a college professor who reminds his students that they're doing a quiz on asparagus the next day.
- May 21, 2011 - Abby Elliott and Bobby Moynihan
- Moynihan's contestant name is either Tommy or Toddy.
- November 12, 2011 - Paul Brittain and Taran Killam
- February 4, 2012 - Nasim Pedrad and Andy Samberg
- May 19, 2012 - Vanessa Bayer and Taran Killam
- November 19, 2016 - Melissa Villaseñor and Bobby Moynihan
- December 19, 2020 - TBA and TBA
- These are the secret words in each episode
(bold text means that letter was covered up when it was first read)- November 21, 2009 - Crab, Drape, Juice
- March 13, 2010 - Gown, Vodka, Theater, Cake
- October 9, 2010 - Shrimp, Flat, Fringe, Cook
- January 15, 2011 - Grab, Cream, Soup
- May 21, 2011 - Boot (Mindy thought it was 800-T), Grape, Cramp
- November 12, 2011 - Honk, Cloud, Thorny
- February 4, 2012 - Cramp, Probe, Weiner
- May 19, 2012 - Canal, Soft, Jelly
- November 19, 2016 - Branch, Bird, Floral
- December 19, 2020 - (all were Christmas-themed) Wrap, Poinsettia, Ho Ho Ho, Trimming the Tree (that last one was a phrase)
- Some episodes had products mentioned at the end of the sketch
- November 21, 2009 - Pall Mall Cigarette Flavored Gum
- March 13, 2010 - Career Girl Cigarettes
- January 15, 2011 - Johnson & Johnson Baby Cages
- November 12, 2011 - Ajak Baby Wipes
- February 4, 2012 - Wife Nyquil
- November 19, 2016 - Winston Baby Cigarettes
- December 19, 2020 - Secretary Wax (mentioned in the beginning as the show's sponsor)
- The first three episodes are where Mindy is introduced without her middle name.
- ↑ Approx 08:40 into https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG4B9trM3bs