Ryan Gosling took his first shot at hosting SNL this weekend, and the blond bombshell (gender-neutral term, this is the 21st century!) lost his composure more than he usually loses his shirt.

Throughout the show, Gosling couldn’t help but break character and laugh uncontrollably at the antics of the SNL regulars, always seemingly doing his best to hold in a giggle or smile even during his more “serious” moments. And nowhere was Gosling’s tendency toward stifling a persistent chortle more apparent than in the “Close Encounter” sketch with Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, Bobby Moynihan and Aidy Bryant.

The “game” of the sketch (to use the parlance of the improv and sketch comedy folk) centered around McKinnon, Strong and Gosling being interviewed by Pentagon officials about their respective alien abductions. And while Strong and Gosling’s encounters were of grand beauty and spiritual significance (“That [alien] being touched my head, and I felt every emotion in its purest form.”), McKinnon’s well… not so much. Disheveled, smoking a cigarette, and slouched so far down in her seat her shoulders nearly touch her ears, McKinnon recounted a horrifying, and hilarious experience with forty “super-off-the-books” little gray aliens. And as she delved into raunchy detail, Gosling, and pretty much everyone else, couldn’t help but crack up to the point of breaking from the reality of the scene. At one point Gosling was laughing so hard, Strong said (still in character), “He’s cryin’.”

Ultimately, Gosling’s continuously semi-contained laughter worked to play up the fun of the show and helped to keep things loose. It’s obvious he was having a good time, and for a freshman appearance, he certainly held his own. It’s also really hard not to like him because, you know, he’s Ryan Gosling.

The silly Goosling (trademarked!) also looks like he’s having a great time in the trailer for his latest film co-starring Russel Crowe, The Nice Guys, which you can watch here. You can also check out two of the other holiday-themed gut busters from his SNL appearance, one that includes a return of the naughty SMBD elves seen when Louis C.K. hosted the show, the other a Tarantino-esque glimpse at a couple who really can’t wait to see Santa, below:

What did you think of Gosling’s first turn hosting SNL? Did his ever-present giggling work for you, or were you left cold? Let us know in the comments section below!

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HT: Deadline
Image: NBC/Saturday Night Live