LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Alec Baldwin, known for his regular impersonations of former President Donald Trump on 'Saturday Night Live', made an unexpected return to the show in his first appearance since the tragic 2021 shooting incident on the set of his film 'Rust'.

His cameo during the recent episode of the long-running comedy sketch show has ignited a range of reactions on the Internet.

Alec Baldwin's 'SNL' appearance

Baldwin, who has previously hosted 'SNL' a staggering 17 times, had not graced the show's stage for over three years. His brief and somewhat unheralded appearance took place at the end of a sketch focusing on sleep stories for the app Calm, where he exclaimed, "Okay everybody, let's get calm!"

This impromptu moment was followed by Baldwin joining the evening's host, Timothee Chalamet, and the musical guest Boygenius for the traditional end-of-show sendoff.

Baldwin's return to 'Saturday Night Live' comes after the tragic incident in October 2021 on the set of his western film 'Rust'. During a rehearsal, a firearm held by Baldwin discharged a live round, resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuries to director Joel Souza. Baldwin has consistently denied pulling the trigger on the weapon in past interviews, and earlier this year, involuntary manslaughter charges against him were dropped.

Despite the dropped charges, last month, New Mexico special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis announced their intention to convene a grand jury to determine whether Baldwin should face criminal charges once again in connection to the incident.

The film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, faces involuntary manslaughter charges and has pleaded not guilty. Furthermore, the film's assistant director, David Halls, who was responsible for handing the firearm to Baldwin on the day of the incident, signed a plea agreement earlier this year for "negligent use of a deadly weapon."

Alec Baldwin's 'SNL' surprise sparks social media frenzy

Internet users were left in disbelief as Baldwin made an unexpected appearance on SNL. A user tweeted, "Alec Baldwin popping up at 12:58 on SNL was the biggest Jumpscare I've experienced in a long time... Like, whhhyyyy??? #SNL." Another chimed in, "Remember that this guy was worried about making Trump seem human..." A third claimed, "Not them bringing Alec Baldwin back #SNL."

"The cameos have been so fun this season and we just had to end the show with an Alec Baldwin jumpscare #SNL," read a tweet. "Alec Baldwin? #SNL," questioned another. "Im begging snl to never let me see alec baldwin again," stated a user.