Dan Aykroyd as Julia Child on SNL: Stop the Bleeding!
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Dan Aykroyd as Julia Child in Season 4 of SNL
From 1978-79 on Saturday Night Live, the cast and veteran writers were knocking it out of the park during Season Four. And though many members of the great ensemble cast of players collaborated on most sketches, every once in a while, one of them would have a memorable turn in a solo skit.
Such was the case on the season’s eighth episode on December 9, 1978.
In a sketch called “The French Chef,” Dan Akyroyd introduces himself to the audience right away. “Welcome,” he says, “I’m Julia Child.” The legendary teacher, author and TV host, born Aug. 15, 1912, had starred in a groundbreaking cooking show of that name for a decade. She is also the subject of an acclaimed comedy-drama series, Julia, that ran for two seasons on HBO’s Max platform beginning in 2022.
Aykroyd, mimicking Child’s over-the-top high-pitched voice, tells the audience that he’s going to teach them how to prepare a holiday feast with “a fine, fat roasting chicken like this one.”
He goes into great detail about saving the giblets and the liver. “Save the liver… don’t throw it away. I hope I’ve made my point,” he says.
Now it’s time to bone the chicken. “For this, you need a very sharp knife,” he explains. “You place the chicken on its stomach and cut along the backbone like so… Now I’ve done it… I’ve cut the Dickens out of my finger…”
Blood starts spurting everywhere. “First you must stop the bleeding.” He tries, unsuccessfully, to apply pressure using his apron. Next, he suggests “natural coagulants such as chicken liver. Another reason not to throw away the liver…”
And for the next minute-and-a-half, the live studio audience howls as Aykroyd tries to stop the bleeding. Bon appetit!
Watch Dan Aykroyd portray Julia Child in “The French Chef”
Aykroyd was born on July 1, 1952, in Ontario, Canada. This was his final SNL season. He moved over to making feature films and had immediate success with 1980’s The Blues Brothers and 1981’s Neighbors. Two years later, he had another huge hit with fellow SNL star Eddie Murphy in Trading Places.
Related: Akyroyd’s classic Season Two holiday sketch
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationI thought that I remember more blood shooting out. Like a heavy stream of it lol. Dan Ackroyd is always hilarious!