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Where Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson goes, the “chicken guy” follows.
“Saturday Night Live” star Mikey Day exclusively told The Post that the wrestler-turned-movie star, 52, had plenty of protein on hand when he hosted the sketch comedy series.
“This is more amusing than surprising. I figured Dwayne Johnson would have an intense diet and stuff to maintain his ridiculously shredded physique,” Day, 45, said while promoting his new campaign with Dollar Car Rental.
“But when he hosted, I saw Dwayne’s ‘Chicken Guy,'” the comedian recalled. “Which, distilled down to a basic description, is a dude who follows Dwayne around with this industrial case of chicken and occasionally approaches Dwayne and says. ‘Hey Dwayne, sorry to interrupt but it’s time to eat chicken.'”
Johnson, a member of the Five-Timers Club on “SNL,” hosted the show in 2000, 2002, 2009, 2015 and 2017.
The “Black Adam” star has spoken before about his high-protein diet. He told Men’s Health in 2022 that he eats the same six meals a day, starting with his breakfast that includes “eggs, a meat like bison, a complex carb like oatmeal, and fruit, usually either papaya or blueberries.”
At 10 a.m., he has his second meal that consists of complex carbs like rice, chicken breast, and greens. For dinner, Johnson indulges on protein such as chicken, fish, chicken or steak with a complex carbs dish like sweet potatoes and greens.
In total, his diet is mostly 40 to 45 percent protein — and that includes daily protein shakes.
Day joined the “SNL” as a writer in 2013 and transitioned to a cast member in 2016, meaning he crossed paths with Johnson the last two times he hosted the show.
In the 30-second “The Dollar Common Sensei” ad, Day plays the “Common Sensei” whose mission it is to defeat travel nonsense and encourage renters to get the best deals by booking at Dollar.com.
Day told The Post that of all his cast members, he’d most like to do a Dollar Car Rental commercial with Kenan Thompson.
“I know the shoot would be fun as he just makes me laugh,” Day said of Thompson, 45. “Even if he’s just standing there saying nothing, I’m laughing.”
The car rental agency accepted one of his pitches when they shot the commercial at TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in New York.
“In the spot where I play the intense dog dad talking to my dog, I pitched the line, ‘I tell everyone at work you’re my human son. Which is pretty weird for a rental car commercial. But they were into it which made me happy,” he shared. “They weren’t scared of getting weird so they’re my kind of people.”
Following the news that the UK is launching its own “SNL” series, Day told The Post he expects great things from the all-British cast.
“British comedy/comedians have been so influential to comedy as a whole, so I think it’s great. I’m curious what the show will be like,” he said. “Sometimes British humor’s a little more subtle so maybe it will be a little less loud than its American counterpart?”
Day also said that one of the wildest, unscripted moments he’s witnessed on the show was “Heidi [Gardner] breaking character when she turned around and saw me as Butt-Head,” referring to the 2024 “Beavis and Butt-Head” sketch starring Ryan Gosling.
Some of Day’s other most memorable sketches include “Spelling Bee” with Will Forte, “Haunted Elevator” with Tom Hanks, “Washington’s Dream” with Nate Bargatze, and “Lord Gaga” with Colin Jost on “Weekend Update.”
After over 10 years of working on the show, Day told The Post he’s more focused on the present rather than the future of his career.
“The show has trained me to not think beyond the week in front of me,” he said. “So right now all I’m thinking about are ideas for [next episode’s guest] Quinta Brunson.”
English (US)