With the dust having settled since former President Donald Trump announced JD Vance as his running mate in this year's election, there remains one lingering question: Who will portray the Ohio senator on Saturday Night Live?
Trump announced Vance as his running mate in July, prompting the inevitable scrutiny over his past comments. In July 2021, Vance said the country is run by "childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives." The clip resurfaced last month and sparked outrage, amid Trump's attempts at defending the comment.
Vance also suggested that people's votes should count more if they have children. In a 2021 speech for the conservative organization the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, he said: "You should have more of a power, more of an ability to speak your voice in our democratic republic than people who don't have kids."
"Let's face the consequences and the reality," Vance said at the time. "If you don't have as much of an investment in the future of this country, maybe you shouldn't get nearly the same voice."
As anyone who has tuned into SNL can attest, such material would prove irresistible fodder for the long-running NBC comedy sketch show, which has skewered an exhaustive list of politicians and newsmakers over the years.
With the 50th season of SNL set to premiere on September 28, anticipation has been all but heightened on how the show will tackle November's election, which is expected to be a showdown between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. This week, Harris announced Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate.
Maya Rudolph will be returning to reprise her portrayal of Harris (a role she initially took when the former attorney general of California ran for president in the 2020 cycle), while James Austin Johnson is expected to return with his acclaimed role as Trump.
But with Vance having already attracted a plethora of attention (former SNL cast member Cecily Strong this week took brutal jabs at him during a virtual fundraiser for Harris), all eyes are on who will vie for laughs while portraying the politician.
Newsweek has put together a list of five possible candidates to take on the role.
Taran Killam
Former SNL cast member Taran Killam certainly has experience as a vice presidential hopeful, having portrayed—to acclaim—Mitt Romney's 2012 Republican running mate Paul Ryan during his run on the show.
Killam, who also played the likes of Ted Cruz and John Boehner during his tenure, was cut from the cast back in 2017 ahead of his seventh season. While it's not known if he will return, there have been calls for him to do so from fans.
Current cast member Ego Nwodim made her feelings known when she spoke with Interview magazine for an article published on Tuesday.
"I don't get to do the casting, but I'd be calling Taran Killam to play him on SNL," she told the publication while sharing her thoughts on Vance.
Michael Longfellow
While Michael Longfellow is a relative newcomer to the scene, having joined SNL in 2022, he qualifies for contention simply because (with a deft application of eyeliner, allegedly) he could transform into a Vance doppelgänger.
He would serve as something of an underdog rising to the fore in this particular race, as so many other contenders have emerged as fan favorites.
Still, the case has been pleaded by an X (formerly Twitter) user, who shared side-by-side photos of Longfellow and Vance to illustrate their vision.
Zach Galifianakis
Zach Galifianakis has proved to be quite the popular choice among fans, not least because his offbeat comedy style is guaranteed to pull in the laughs—and squirms.
While he does bear a slight resemblance to Vance, Galifianakis has proved himself to be adept at handling political material, having welcomed the likes of former President Barack Obama and one-time Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on his beloved talk series Between Two Ferns.
There are also external factors at play that make Galifianakis a strong contender. The star, who earned an Emmy nomination for his SNL guest-hosting stint in 2011, will be featured in the fourth season of Only Murders in the Building.
Although he hasn't helmed an SNL episode since 2013, the late August debut of weekly broadcasts of Only Murders' latest episodes gives Galifianakis the luxury of heightened fan interest—and the showrunners the joy of motivated talent.
Colin Jost
"Colin Jost in eyeliner is something I want to experience. This would unite the country," declared one Reddit user in the Saturday Night Live subreddit, during a discussion of who should portray Vance on the show.
Having spent a decade in the role of Weekend Update co-anchor, Jost has a handle on the news angles that will likely captivate the audience's attention—not that there's ever a struggle for material during an election year.
Jost could possibly also get pointers from his wife Scarlett Johansson, who famously skewered Ivanka Trump in a sketch on the show in 2017. At the time, Alec Baldwin portrayed her father, former President Trump.
Jason Sudeikis
While it has been 11 years since Jason Sudeikis walked away from his role as a full-time SNL cast member, his work on the show remains in fans' memories.
Over his several years in the fold, Sudeikis portrayed the likes of former President George W. Bush, current President Joe Biden, and onetime presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.
Perhaps as a sign that it was meant to be, the Ted Lasso star played a notably enthusiastic background dancer sporting an Adidas tracksuit and 1980s-style perm in the recurring sketch "What Up with That?" Coincidentally, his name was Vance.
Whether Sudeikis would sign up for the role is another question. After stepping down in 2013, he returned for stints in 2015, 2016, and 2019. He made his hosting debut in October 2021.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
