'He's crying!' Ryan Gosling struggles to contain composure and laughter throughout comedy skits while hosting SNL

For most Hollywood stars, the biggest challenge in hosting Saturday Night Live is trying to get laughs.

But for Ryan Gosling, 35, the real challenge was trying to contain them.

The Hollywood hunk had seemed nervous starting the hit late night comedy show, even flubbing the name of it, pronouncing it 'Haturday Night Live.' 

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The host: Ryan Gosling hosted Saturday Night Live and had trouble keeping a straight face

As the night went on those nerves soon turned to giggles, with the actor repeatedly struggling to compose himself to finish his skits without cracking into fits of laughter.

Gosling struggled to control himself on at least three skits during the night, and at one point a cast member even ad-libbed that he was crying as a cover for him hiding his face with his hand as he visibly shook with laughter.

But with the laughter over, he also managed to end the show with a touching tribute to partner Eva Mendes and their baby daughter Esmeralda Amada, with his final words of the night being: 'Eva and Esme I love you.' 

Cracking  up: The actor hid his face while trying to hold back laughter during a skit with Cecily Strong and Kyle Mooney

The skit during which Gosling most lost it was one where he played one of three 'small town buds' being interviewed by federal agents after having survived the 'first verified case of alien abduction.'

While Ryan's character said he 'felt every emotion in its purest form,' emotions backed up by Cecily Strong's character, Kate McKinnon recalled wildly different experiences - with the aliens watching her pee and leaving her naked below the waist.

Ryan then repeatedly broke into giggles as McKinnon's story got wilder - often hiding his mouth behind his hand as he struggled to stop his laughter.

'He's crying,' Strong said at one point, pretending Gosling's laughter was actually part of the plot. 

Lost it: Ryan lost it during an alien abduction skit with Kate McKinnon and Cecily

McKinnon soon had almost all of them laughing as she said: 'These fancy cats are seeing God, meanwhile I'm starting phase two which is me sitting on a stool while 40 gray aliens take turns gently batting my knockers around.'

'The were respectful about it,' she added, calling the experience 'super off the books' and admitting: 'Look, it wasn't my worst Wednesday night.'

As they all walked off to get a physical, McKinnon asked if there would be 'any knockers stuff' - with Gosling letting out a loud laugh as they walked off set.

Knockers stuff: Kate demonstrated how the aliens took turns 'gently batting' her knockers around

He also seemed close to losing it with laughter as he played a 'lame' dad with a mustache and curly hair who embarrasses his daughter at her 13th birthday party - while one of girls, played by Aidy Bryant, flirted with him.

Calling him 'a full blown beef-meat,' the girl then seductively told him she is a 'dirty girl' - but because she always pees in the shower - and then licked cream off of his finger.

But the moment he most lost it was when he recalled the 'special memories' of swimming lessons with his daughter - with Aidy coming up close and saying: 'Oh yeah, frickin' wet!' 

Birthday party: Ryan also fought back laughter while playing a 'lame' dad in another skit

After showing off a tattoo of his daughter's name on his chest, Aidy was so excited she bounced off a wall and fell on the birthday cake, breaking the table.

'Oh do you like that?' she asked as she was covered in cake.

Gosling's giggles lasted up right until the final skit, where he played one of three kinky elves who beg Santa to 'punish' them to get them to make toys.

Openly flirting: A teenager played by Aidy Bryant openly flirted with the dorky dad

Special tattoo: Aidy's character ran into wall when Ryan showed off a chest tattoo

'We have very few limits - wink wink, wiggle wiggle,' Gosling's effeminate sounding elf told Santa, asking for 'discipline.'

He then pretended to slowly bend over to pick up a candy that he dropped, with another elf asking: 'You see anything you like Santa?'

After another elf called him 'Saint Dick Nick,' Gosling's elf then said: 'You better put Jingle Bells in our mouths - because we're screamers!'

Santa, played by Bobby Moynihan, then told them: 'Three thousand years ago, sure, I would've totally torn into all of you. But I am not that guy anymore.'

Being naught: Ryan also checked his laughter during a skit involving kinky elves and Santa Claus

Gosling had started his show with amazing help, with comedy great Mike Myers - one of the biggest legends in SNL history - coming on as a surprise guest during his opening monologue.

The monologue started with Gosling pretending he was 'so excited to be back home' in New York City, saying: 'It brings back all these great memories of growing up as a kid.'

But he was soon reminded that he was actually Canadian, finally admitting: 'Not everybody's a fan of immigrants right now, y'know? Not sure I want to be shouting it from the rafters.'

Brooklyn boy? Ryan pretended to be from New York City during the start of his monologue

At that point, fellow Canadian Myers walked out wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs shirt, telling Gosling: 'I'll take it from here.' 

Myers then asked if the actor was 'ashamed to be Canadian,' to which Gosling insisted: 'I'm very proud to be Canadian, OK - it's one of the greatest countries in the world, y'know.'

Myers pointed out that they have 'so much to be proud of' including 'our hunky new Prime Minister, Trudeau,' 'Degrassi Junior High' and 'Sir Justin Bieber.'

Surprise appearance: Canadian comedian Mike Meyers returned to the SNL stage to stick up for their homeland

They were even joined by the Bonhomme de Neige as Myers insisted: 'Nobody does Christmas better than Canada.'

'You're right, OK. I shouldn't have lied. I'm sorry,' Gosling said, with Myers forcing him to change his accent to sound more Canadian.

They then broke into song about Canada, even showing off their dance steps - with Myers punching the air excitedly after his impressive tap moves.

Song and dance: Mike and Ryan were joined by the Bonhomme de Neige

In another skit, Gosling helped SNL poke fun at NBC's own show, The Wiz Live.

Pretending to be the Scarecrow from scenes cut from the broadcast, Gosling pretended to have fallen asleep on the train and ended up in the other side of Oz.

He then had the others angry as he told them that he loved that here was 'so much color' - quickly insisting he meant the scenery as they took it as a comment on their race.

Poking fun: Ryan also portrayed The Scarecrow in a skit poking fun at NBC's The Wiz Live

Down the road: The Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Dorothy talked to Ryan's Scarecrow from West Oz

After failing to impress them with his dance moves, he finally won them over by revealing how the had defeated the Wicked Witch, finally body popping as they invited him to dance with them.

He also showed off his dance moves in a skit where he was being interviewed for GQ magazine at a bar in his hometown of Cornwall, Ontario, where he proudly said he 'had his first legal beer.'

But during his interview, Kyle Mooney pretends to be a childhood bully who came over and taunted him: 'If it isn't the little bitch I used to beat up in high school, crying Ryan Gosling.'

Magazine interview: Ryan's magazine interview was interrupted by his childhood bully

Threatening to reveal his 'secrets,' he then got Gosling to show off his singing voice as the Dreamgirls tune And I Am Telling You was put on the jukebox - and then his dancing to Cathy Dennis's Touch Me.

As he showed off his impressive moves - with two girls in the rear helping out - the journalist, played by Cecily, told him: 'Oh my God Ryan you were amazing!'

Increasingly frustrated at being unable to upstage him, the bully finally ripped off his shirt 'to compare our bodies' after teasing him for having once been 'Scrawn Rawny' - then finally breaking down and getting hugs from Gosling as he admitting: 'I just miss you around here, Ryan.'

Dance moves: The actor showed off his dance moves during the interview skit

'I think I got my cover story!' Strong's journalist said excitedly, as the cut to a mocked-up GQ cover with Gosling hugging a shirtless Mooney with the headline: 'Ryan Gosling has lame friends.'

As well as skits, Gosling also made a surprise appearance during the Weekend Update section of the show, coming on as 'second hand news man' Anthony Crispino's friend and 'third hand news guy' Angelo.

Gosling was dressed identical to Anthony in a bad jacket and tie - and with an even worse mullet hairstyle and dated mustache.

Comic relief: Angelo Crispino joined Anthongy to deliver some funny second- and third-hand news

Even so, he teased host Colin Jost: 'Hey Colin, where'd ya get that tie? The Bad Tie store?'

Gosling then mimicked the rising voice of Anthony played by Moynihan - and the crazy stories, calling Star Wars: The Force Awakens the 'huge movie called Star Wars and the Four Jamaicans' that was 'directed by Jah Jah Abrams.'

He then joked about how 'Charlie Sheen got the HBO' instead of HIV, insisting: 'He's not going to watch Showtime no more.'

Looking around: The Crispinos like looking around while they're talking

Saved the segment: Cecily Strong saved the Weekend Update segment with her flirty character Jill from Glamour magazine

And they then insisted that Adele's number one hit was actually by a computer, saying: 'Colin you got to get a Dell.'

In another skit, Gosling and Vanessa Bayer pretended to be a new couple in town invited to a Christmas party in a clear Tarantino movie pastiche.

The couple staunchly believed Santa was clearly real - and Gosling turned menacing when the host did a U-turn about Santa being there.

Santa fans: Ryan and Vanessa Bayer in a segment portrayed a couple who still believed in Santa Claus

'I cannot pass on an opportunity to thank that beautiful man for bringing me presents every year at Christmas until my parents left at a very young age,' Gosling said, soon smashing a candy cane in threats.

And when party-goers pointed out that Rudolph wasn't real, either, he angrily asked: 'Then how the f*** did Santa get here? Use your head!'

After a Tarantino-style slow dance while waiting to meet Santa, the host finally came down in a Father Christmas costume, with Gosling hugging him and saying: 'It is you! You look good bud - you lost weight.'

Christmas time: The party host put on a Santa suit to please his guests

As the camera moved away - with Bayer saying she was going to sit on Santa's lap - the real Father Christmas was seen outside, sadly looking in through the window.

The show started with 'A Christmas Message from Donald and Melania Trump', in which the pretend Donald, played by Taran Killam, wished everyone a Happy Christmas and Happy Hanukah, before adding: 'And to the Muslims, send me your names.'

They then went through their Christmas Naughty and Nice list, with the polls 'very nice' and Hillary Clinton - who he nicknamed 'the nutcracker' - also being on the good list for calling him and saying 'please, please' be the Republican nominee to run against her.

Naughty and nice: Taran Killam as Donald Trump and Cecily as his wife Melania went over their Naughty and Nice List

But the naughty list included new dad Mark Zuckerberg for giving away his money to charity, with the jokey Melania warning: 'If you give away all your money, how will you stay married?'

Donald then put Santa on the naughty list, saying: 'Controversial, I know. But this guy is a foreigner who works one day a year and gives handouts - he's worse than Obama!'

The musical guest was Leon Bridges, who was smartly dressed in vintage-looking blazer and white shirt as his band backed him for his first number, the soulful Smooth Sailin'.

He then changed into a suit and bow tie as he played electric guitar for the slower Rivers, joined only by an organ and backing singers.

Musical guest: Leon Bridges performed twice during the show

Fell flat: Michael Che during Weekend Update tried out a joke about Kobe Bryant retiring that fell flat with the audience

Hardly a chuckle: Colin Joust also struggled to make the audience laugh during the Weekend Update segment