In these trying times, “Saturday Night Live” wants character actors of all stripes to be extra careful when walking around New York City — but Jon Hamm can relax.

10 days after Steve Buscemi was hospitalized after being unexpectedly punched in the face, NBC’s late-night show mocked the situation with a lighthearted sketch about protecting our actors who are recognizable but not necessarily household names. Host Jake Gyllenhaal appeared as an NYPD officer urging actors to stay safe while briefing reporters about the issue.

“Just this week, national treasure Steve Buscemi was punched while walking through Kips Bay,” he said. “These types of attacks cannot and will not be tolerated. So to everyone watching, I have one important message: Stop punching character actors in the face.”

Gyllenhaal went on to explain that he believes Buscemi’s attack could be the start of a larger wave of crimes against character actors. He...