Excluding his appearance with NSYNC, Timberlake made his “SNL” debut on October 11, 2003, during season 29.
This episode saw the beginnings of the epic Justin Timberlake/Jimmy Fallon friendship, and it marked the debut of “The Barry Gibb Talk Show,” which remains a staple of Timberlake’s appearances on the show (it was brought back yet again in 2024 when Timberlake was just a musical guest in season 49). He also sang “Rock Your Body,” “Señorita,” and “Cry Me a River.”
Three years later, in season 32 on December 16, 2006, Timberlake returned — and this time, won an Emmy for his troubles. A digital short from the episode went viral after the uncensored version was posted on YouTube. He also performed “My Love” and “What Goes Around… Comes Around.”
Timberlake made it a threepeat on March 9, 2013, during season 38. Besides his third stint as a musical guest/host, it was also his fifth time hosting overall, with other members of “The Five-Timers Club” appearing during his monologue, including Tom Hanks, Martin Short, Chevy Chase, and Candice Bergen.
Timberlake performed “Mirrors” and his collaboration with Jay-Z, “Suit & Tie,” during which the rapper appeared onstage.