Andy Samberg Recalls Jason Momoa Swinging Him Around 'Like a Rag Doll' at SNL 50th Afterparty

The unexpected encounter inspired the pair's upcoming action comedy film 'Protecting Jared'

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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In an interview, Andy Samberg recounted how he first met Jason Momoa at the SNL 50th Anniversary Special afterparty, where Momoa picked Samberg up and spun him around 'like a rag doll'. Samberg later told the story to his writing partners, who then came up with the idea for the upcoming action comedy film 'Protecting Jared' starring Samberg and Momoa.

Why it matters

The unexpected and humorous encounter between the two actors helped inspire a new collaborative project that will pair their very different on-screen personas in an action-comedy film. This type of serendipitous celebrity interaction is often the basis for successful creative partnerships in Hollywood.

The details

According to Samberg, the first time he met Momoa was at the SNL 50th anniversary afterparty, where Momoa picked Samberg up and spun him around 'like a rag doll'. Samberg then told the story to his longtime writing partners Rob Klein and John Solomon, who saw the potential for a film pairing the two actors. They pitched the idea for 'Protecting Jared' to Momoa, who loved it, and the project was then sold to Netflix.

  • In 2025, Samberg met Momoa for the first time at the SNL 50th anniversary afterparty.
  • A week later, Samberg's writing partners pitched him the idea for 'Protecting Jared' based on the Momoa encounter.

The players

Andy Samberg

A 47-year-old American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician, best known for his work on the sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live and the comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Jason Momoa

A 46-year-old American actor, known for his roles in the television series Game of Thrones and the films Aquaman and Dune.

Rob Klein

A writer and longtime collaborator of Andy Samberg.

John Solomon

A writer and longtime collaborator of Andy Samberg.

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What they’re saying

“I had never met him and then last year at the SNL 50th after-party, I met him and he picked me up and swung me around in a circle like a rag doll. We hugged and laughed.”

— Andy Samberg, Actor (PEOPLE)

“A week later they were like, 'We have an idea for a movie for you and Momoa.' They told it to me and I loved it, and we called him. We went and pitched it to him and he loved it. We took it out, and Netflix bought it.”

— Andy Samberg, Actor (PEOPLE)

What’s next

Production on the action comedy film 'Protecting Jared' starring Andy Samberg and Jason Momoa is expected to begin in the coming months after the project was acquired by Netflix.

The takeaway

The unexpected and humorous first encounter between comedic actor Andy Samberg and action star Jason Momoa led to the development of an exciting new collaborative project that will pair their very different on-screen personas in an action-comedy film. This serendipitous celebrity interaction highlights how chance encounters can sometimes inspire successful creative partnerships in Hollywood.