As the 2024 presidential election steamrolls ahead, the late-night sketch show, Saturday Night Live, assures to provide comedic relief in the form of American political caricatures during election years. As Vice President Kamala Harris enters the presidential bid and announces that Tim Walz will be her running mate, SNL is searching for who will play Walz in their political sketches. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building, The Pink Panther) was offered the role but declined.
Martin commented that Lorne Michaels (The Kids in the Hall, 30 Rock), the creator of SNL, offered him the role via The Hollywood Reporter. Martin responded, “I wanted to say no and, by the way, he wanted me to say no. I said, ‘Lorne, I’m not an impressionist. You need someone who can really nail the guy.’ I was picked because I have gray hair and glasses.”
One of Martin’s other concerns was the significant time commitment the role demands, considering Alec Baldwin’s (30 Rock, It’s Complicated) time performing as former President Donald Trump lasted several years after accepting the role for the 2016 presidential election, per The Hollywood Reporter. Martin went on to say, “It’s ongoing–It’s not like you do it once and get applause and never do it again. Again, they need a real impressionist to do that. They’re gonna find somebody really, really good. I’d be struggling.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, after Harris named Walz her running mate, Martin’s name started trending on X, with public discourse surrounding Martin for the role. However, social media users also talked about other actors who would be great for the part, throwing out the names of Bradley Whitford (Get Out, The West Wing), Danny DeVito (Batman Returns, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Jim O’Heir (Logan Lucky, Smothered by Mothers), Tom Arnold (True Lies, The Stupids), Jim Gaffigan (Full Circle, American Dreamer), Bill Murray (Moonrise Kingdom, Ghostbusters), Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show, The Price is Right), John Goodman (The Conners, Roseanne) and many others.
Whoever is cast to bring Tim Walz to SNL soon will act alongside Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids, Loot), who will reprise her caricature of Harris this year, reports mxdwn. Rudolph earned an Emmy playing the role of Harris, winning the Guest Actress In A Comedy Series category for her SNL appearances in March 2021.