MacGruber is a recurring sketch on the NBC television series Saturday Night Live, first appearing on the show in January 2007. The sketch is a parody of the 1985–1992 adventure series MacGyver. The sketch stars Will Forte as special operations agent MacGruber, who is tasked in each episode with deactivating a ticking bomb but becomes distracted by personal issues, resulting in the bomb's detonation. Though it is implied that MacGruber and his companions die in the explosion, the sketch normally returns for subsequent installments, with the characters having survived but MacGruber's behavior worsening because of his distractions.
MacGrubers popularity has led to a film based on the character, which was released on May 21, 2010. A television series for the streaming service Peacock premiered on December 16, 2021.
Creation The character of MacGruber was created by SNL writer Jorma Taccone. The sketches are written by Forte, Taccone and John Solomon and directed by Taccone, except for the March 2008 and May 2008 installments, which were directed by Solomon.
Premise In the sketch's first appearance of each SNL episode, MacGruber finds himself and his assistants trapped in a control room with a ticking time bomb. MacGruber's female assistant (played in 2007 by Maya Rudolph and later by Kristen Wiig and then by Chloe Fineman) and another assistant (usually played by that week's SNL host) "recap" their situation, explaining that they are in an abandoned mine, abandoned factory, or other adventure-type setting (it is a running gag that they are always locked in the control room, no matter how illogical the idea of a control room is in the context of the location where they are trapped), and that the bomb will detonate in about 15–20 seconds. As he attempts to deactivate the bomb, MacGruber calls for people to pass him ordinary objects such as rubber bands or bubble gum wrappers (a reference to the sorts of objects typically used by MacGyver in devising a way out of a jam), but MacGruber inevitably loses focus before finishing the job and the bomb explodes, ending the sketch. The replacement of his female assistant from Maya Rudolph's character to Kristen Wiig's is explained in the film adaptation of the sketch.
The sketch typically reappears for a second or third installment later in the episode, with the characters appearing none the worse for wear but MacGruber growing increasingly unhinged and his assistants becoming more disillusioned in his capabilities. Each installment ends with the bomb's detonation.
Family MacGruber's father is the famed Angus MacGyver (Richard Dean Anderson), making his full name MacGruber MacGyver. His grandmother is portrayed by Betty White, who becomes his fiancée in her appearance. MacGruber also has an estranged homosexual son (Shia LaBeouf), whom he sends to a camp to become heterosexual over a three-sketch arc. He also has an older half-brother named Khaluber (The Great Khali) who does not speak English.
Themes The personal issues that have distracted MacGruber and prevented him from stopping the bomb include alcoholism (Molly Shannon/Linkin Park episode), his son's homosexuality (Shia LaBeouf/My Morning Jacket episode), losing his savings due to the current economic crisis (Josh Brolin/Adele episode), discovering his long-lost father (Dwayne Johnson/Ray LaMontagne episode), his addiction to plastic surgery (Seth Rogen/Spoon episode), accusing his coworkers of talking about him behind his back (Jonah Hill/Mariah Carey episode), his grandmother telling embarrassing stories from his childhood (Betty White/Jay-Z episode), his racism (Charles Barkley/Alicia Keys episode), his belief in COVID-19 misinformation (Will Forte/Måneskin episode) and the fact that he is in the Epstein files (Glen Powell/Olivia Dean episode).
MacGyver/Pepsi cross-over During the January 31, 2009, episode of SNL, MacGyver star Richard Dean Anderson appeared with Forte in three Pepsi commercials designed to resemble MacGruber sketches. In the commercials, MacGyver complains about the poor job MacGruber is doing and accuses him of being a sellout. The commercials were later included as part of the SNL episode on Hulu.
In the second commercial, later re-aired during Super Bowl XLIII, MacGruber and MacGyver are locked in the control room of an "illegal supply ship", where MacGruber becomes distracted by the temptation of Pepsi and announces he has changed his name to "Pepsuber." In the third commercial, the MacGruber theme song lyrics and MacGruber's dialogue have been replaced by the single word "Pepsi" repeated over and over and over. When his companions finally get fed up with this and ask if he can say anything but Pepsi, MacGruber holds up a Diet Pepsi, but is only able to say "Diet Pep-" before the control room explodes, and the commercial ends.
Anderson returned to SNL on the March 7, 2009, episode, in which it was revealed that MacGyver is actually MacGruber's long-lost father (making the latter's full name "MacGruber MacGyver"), who left his mother (Abby Elliott) for a stripper named Lacey when MacGruber was a baby.
List of MacGruber sketches and characters +Recurring characters in MacGruberCharacterPlayed ByFirst AppearanceNotesMacGruber MacGyverWill ForteJanuary 20, 2007The main character; a spoof of MacGyver.Casey SullivanMaya RudolphJanuary 20, 2007MacGruber's assistant.Vicki St. ElmoKristen WiigMarch 15, 2008MacGruber's assistant; replaced Casey.Tawny JenkinsChloe FinemanNovember 15, 2025MacGruber's assistant; replaced Vicki.
+Episode list for MacGruber skitsOriginal AirdateGuest StarCharacterDistractionPlotJanuary 20, 2007Jeremy PivenJojoAssistants refusing to supply disgusting things that MacGruber needsSkit 1: At an abandoned factory, MacGruber asks Jojo (Piven) and Casey to pick up a small dog poop from the ground, but they refuse. As MacGruber angrily tries to pick it up, the factory explodes.
Skit 2: At the Cedarville Dam, MacGruber tries to defuse dynamite with pine needles, a paper cup, and asks for some pubic hair from Jojo, who refuses to give him any. MacGruber approaches to forcefully remove the hair from Jojo as the dam explodes.
Skit 3: In a prison boat, MacGruber asks Jojo to hand a bucket of sperm, to which Jojo immediately refuses. MacGruber tries to mention their limited time, and the bomb detonates.May 12, 2007Molly ShannonAprilAlcoholismSkit 1: At a boobytrapped bridge, MacGruber asks Casey and April (Shannon) to hand him ingredients to make a Bloody Caesar and drinks it as the bomb goes off.
Skit 2: At a POW prison camp, a drunk MacGruber asks April to hand him a guitar, to which he plays a drunken version of his theme song before the place explodes.
Skit 3: At a drug lord's headquarters, MacGruber, having developed severe drinking problem, lazily and drunkenly eats a hamburger while shirtless. With Casey having left him, April asks MacGruber to defuse a bomb that he himself made while he was drunk. April eventually has had enough of his bad behavior and leaves as well, leaving MacGruber alone as the bomb explodes.October 6, 2007Seth RogenCalebFear of agingSkit 1: At a deserted silver mine, after Casey and Caleb (Rogen) hand him some of the materials to create a contraption to defuse the bomb, MacGruber's bandanna falls off, revealing his balding scalp. He then tells the two to look away, and he gets distracted by his vanity when he ties his bandanna back on that the bomb detonates.
Skit 2: After getting some plastic surgery and some hair plugs, at a deserted desert tower, MacGruber introduces Casey and Caleb to his new (and much younger) girlfriend Taylor, who somehow ended up in the bomb room. After Casey and Caleb hand him materials, calling them "mom and dad", respectively, Taylor tells MacGruber that their friends got tickets to see Dave Matthews Band in concert. MacGruber gets distracted by Casey and Caleb's lack of reaction to this as the bomb detonates.
Skit 3: In an abandoned monastery, MacGruber is setting on a stool despondently, having ruined his face after travelling to South America—where the medical standards are a lot more relaxed—for more surgeries after being cut off by his regular surgeon. He asks Casey for a mirror piece so he can look at the results of his latest plastic surgery. He then turns around, looking hideous, and saying happily, "Not so bad!", right before the place explodes.March 15, 2008Jonah HillIsaacCo-worker gossipSkit 1: In an abandoned bank, MacGruber is repeatedly distracted from defusing the bomb by passive-aggressively lashing out at Isaac (Hill), before revealing that a co-worker has accused Isaac of criticising and undermining MacGruber behind his back. MacGruber reveals that his feelings are hurt by this as the bomb explodes.
Skit 2: At the abandoned paint factory, MacGruber has become paranoid and spiteful, interpreting everything that Isaac and Vicky say to him as a personal attack. His insecurities lead him to be chronically indecisive and he is unable to decide on what tools to use to defuse the bomb, eventually bursting into tears. When Isaac claims that he couldn't do any worse than him, MacGruber challenges him to defuse the bomb instead. After mockingly counting down during Isaac's efforts, MacGruber reaches zero only for nothing to happen; as soon as he realizes the count was off, the bomb explodes.May 10, 2008Shia LaBeoufMerrill, MacGruber's sonSon's homosexualitySkit 1: At a chemical warfare silo, MacGruber is working with his previously estranged son Merill (LaBeouf). When MacGruber asks for oil, Merill reluctantly hands over a tube of anal lubricant. MacGruber asks why he happened to have it, and Merill explains he's been experimenting. When MacGruber asks who the lucky girl is, Merill reluctantly answers 'Scott'. MacGruber stares at him disgusted until the bomb explodes.
Skit 2: At a rebel training camp, Merill (who was sent by MacGruber to a gay conversion camp) refuses to work with his father who is making his son quote Bible verses and talk about women. When Merill tries to leave, MacGruber tries to stop him, only for a dildo to fall out of Merill's bag. After an awkward few seconds, the bomb explodes.
Skit 3: In an angel dust production lab, MacGruber is upset to find Merill has brought Scott along. Merill claims Scott is just a friend, despite Scott obviously flirting with him, and that he's happy in his relationship with Vicky. MacGruber challenges him to kiss Vicky, however as soon as their lips touch Merill vomits into her mouth just as the bomb explodes. October 18, 2008Josh BrolinKyleLoss of stock market investmentsSkit 1: In an abandoned oil refinery, MacGruber, confident that the defusing will be easy, decides to check his stocks online, only to find out in shock that he invested poorly and lost money in the stock market as the bomb explodes.
Skit 2: At an Italian Mafia hideout, MacGruber asks Kyle (Brolin) to lend him money, but Kyle refuses, so he wants his watch so he can sell it. When he refuses, MacGruber breaks a bottle and threatens both Kyle and Vicky into handing over all the accessories, including Vicky's watch. When he looks her watch to see how much time is left, the bomb explodes.
Skit 3: On a human traffic supply ship, a demented MacGruber tries to convince Vicky and Kyle to pay him money to fart a ping pong ball out of his butt. When they refuse, he does it anyway, and then the ship explodes shortly after.January 31, 2009Richard Dean AndersonAngus MacGyverBickering with MacGyver/Pepsi obsession. Skits aired as commercials for Pepsi during the Super BowlSkit 1: In an abandoned oil refinery, MacGruber gets into an argument with MacGyver (Anderson) over the stupidity of his name. After a while, he asks Vicky to hand him a can of Pepsi, and is about to drink it as the dynamite explodes.