BEN AFFLECK TO TOPLINE THE SEASON PREMIERE OF 'SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE' OCTOBER 2 WITH MUSICAL GUEST NELLY

NEW YORK -- September 15, 2004 -- "Saturday Night Live" returns to the air on October 2 (LIVE, 11:30pm � 1:00 am ET) for its 30th Season Premiere with popular returning host, Ben Affleck and musical guest, rap superstar, Nelly.

Affleck makes his third hosting appearance on the show. On October 21, Affleck will star in the holiday comedy "Surviving Christmas" opposite James Gandolfini, Christina Applegate and Catherine O'Hara. Most recently, he was seen in the romantic comedy "Jersey Girl," the sci-fi thriller "Paycheck," and the big-screen adaptation of Marvel Comics' "Daredevil."

Affleck came to prominence at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, when he starred in Kevin Smith's comedy "Chasing Amy" and Mark Pellington's coming-of-age tale "Going All The Way." He captured an Academy Award� and a Golden Globe Award in 1998 for his first script, "Good Will Hunting," which he co-wrote with Matt Damon. He segued into big-budget action with "Armageddon," and was among the ensemble cast of the Academy Award� winning "Shakespeare in Love." Affleck went on to star in the romantic comedy "Forces of Nature," the fantastical comedy "Dogma," "Boiler Room," the suspense thriller "Reindeer Games," the romantic drama "Bounce," "Pearl Harbor," "Changing Lanes" and the political thriller "The Sum of All Fears." His other film credits include "Mall Rats," "Cruz," "Dazed and Confused" and "School Ties."

In 2000 Affleck partnered with Matt Damon, Chris Moore and Sean Bailey to form Live Planet, Inc. LivePlanet's "Project Greenlight" has been nominated for an Emmy�Award for Outstanding Reality Program for the past two seasons and will return for a third season on Bravo.

Musical guest Nelly makes his second appearance on the show � performing tracks from his just simultaneously released two records � "Sweat" and "Suit." The three-time Grammy winner is the first rapper to release two stand-alone CDs on the same day with "Sweat" the more club and street oriented release and "Suit" focusing on Nelly's softer, romantic side. His prior records "Nellyville" and "Country Grammar" have sold 15 million units and produced monster hits including "Hot in Herre," "Dilemma" and "Country Grammar." The first single from "Suit," "My Place" is already climbing the charts and "Sweat's" first track "Flap Your Wings" is heating up in video rotation.

"Saturday Night Live," which premiered on October 11, 1975, is from SNL Studios in association with Broadway Video. The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels. Steve Higgins produces. Marci Klein and Mike Shoemaker are producers. Beth McCarthy Miller directs.