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For decades,Saturday Night Lives political impressions almost entirely went to cast members.
)and generationally definitive (Dana Carveys George Bush,Will Ferrells George W. Bush) works of satire.
But the debut ofTina Feys Sarah Palinin fall 2008 changed everything.
But not all predictions are equal.
Hes also a progressive dad who governs Minnesota, so people associate him with being really nice.
Drew Careys bespeckled facealso made some people go Ooh!
But none of these ideas make sense for a half-century-old institution that has a particular way of doing things.
Making the studio audience go wild is basically the point of bringing in a big guest star!
I said, Lorne, Im not an impressionist.
You need someone who can really nail the guy.
I was picked because I have gray hair and glasses.
John Goodmanis a name thats been floated on Xand would cause a bigger reaction from the audience.
He also playedRex Tillerson on Weekend Updatein 2018.
Hes got the dad thing down and could possibly play a former high-school football coach.
This biggest strike against Goodman is that he is bigger and brassier than Walz.
Another possibility is Mike Myers, who has a round face and white hair now.
Also, it would be nice to have him around as the show builds up to the 50th-anniversary celebration.
As the cast member with the best impersonation skills, James Austin Johnson seems like the best bet.
Something that jumps out about that Martin quote to the L.A.Timesis that Michaels reportedly wanted him to say no.
Who we think will play him:
Steve Martin.
Yeah, we know what he told the L.A.Times, but were not buying it.
Maybe he is lying to set up the eventual surprise.
Maybe has yet to be convinced.
Either way, he still seems most likely.
Vance
Vance is white and has brown hair and a beard, so the field is extremely wide.
Again, the live audiences reaction is the entire point of not using your existing cast!
Based on Vances youth (hes only 40 years old), there are several options from the cast.
Mikey Day is the shows No.
Colin Jost, however, is the shows No.
1 white guy and probably could pull it off with a fake beard.
(Maybe Yale is enough like Harvard to get him the gig?)
Yellin also floated Sudeikis, who had successimpersonating Bidenduring the Obama years.
She seems like the most likely option if the show doesnt choose a current cast member or former host.
Zach Galifianakisgot some tweetsand a Daily Beast mention as a former-host option.
Also, Galifianakis is on the new season ofOnly Murderswith Martin.
Of the past hosts,Shane Gillisjumps out as a particularly charged option.
Michaels is clearly very fond of Gillis and hasexpressed regretsabout what happened to him.
He doesnt have the pop factor, but it would get a lot of attention online.
He looks absolutely nothing like Vance and is significantly older, but Short wouldnt be cast in a vacuum.
Right now, Michaels isnt looking for a J.D.
While presidential elections happen every four years, 50th seasons of television shows happen only once.
Politics aside, Michaels will always support nostalgia, self-reference, and casting his friends.
