Now that Vice President Kamala Harris has picked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 election, people are wondering who will play the politician on Saturday Night Live.
Walz, now in his second term as governor, has gained recognition for his progressive policies while also maintaining an ability to appeal to both urban and rural voters. His selection aims to balance the Democratic ticket, leveraging his Midwestern roots and legislative success to attract a broader base of support.
Harris and Walz made their first campaign stop in Philadelphia on Tuesday after the official announcement was made earlier in the day. During his speech, Walz joked he is ready to debate his Republican opposite number JD Vance "if he's willing to get off the couch and show up," which eventually went viral online.
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 Donald Trump and Harris—as well as viral moments such as this.
With Maya Rudolph returning to reprise her portrayal of Harris, many are now questioning who would take on the role of Walz. Newsweek has put together a list of five possible candidates to take on the role.
Steve Martin
Since Walz was announced as Harris' pick, the internet has been ablaze with suggestions that comedian Steve Martin should play the politician for SNL.
"SNL get Steve Martin on the phone NOW," one viral post on X (formerly Twitter) reads, which had 3.4 million views and been liked 148,000 times at the time of writing.
"so Steve Martin is definitely gonna play Walz on SNL right," another viral post reads, accompanied by side-by-side photos of the two men.
This would be the most obvious choice as not only does Martin look and sound like Walz but he has also been a regular recurring guest on the long-running NBC comedy sketch show.
While Martin has never been an SNL cast member, he has almost a five-decade history with the program and has hosted it an impressive 16 times—he hosted three times during Season 3 alone!
Martin last hosted the show in December 2022 alongside his longtime collaborator and former SNL cast member Martin Short.
Darrell Hammond
For those who haven't heard of Darrell Hammond, he is an actor, comedian and impressionist. He was a regular cast member of SNL from 1995 until 2009, and since 2014, he has served as the show's announcer. Besides actor Kenan Thompson, he has made more SNL appearances than any other cast member.
While Hammond hasn't publicly expressed internet in playing Walz, he has impersonated more than 107 celebrities on the show and is no stranger to political impressions.
Over the years he has shared his amusing comedic takes on politicians such as Al Gore, Donald Trump and Jimmy Carter, just to name a few, with Bill Clinton being his most frequent impression.
"Get Darrell Hammond back on SNL," one person wrote on X, sharing a video of Walz at the campaign stop in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Matt Damon
While Hollywood star Matt Damon isn't known for his political impressions, he has appeared on SNL numerous times throughout his career.
The first time Damon appeared on the comedy show was when he made a cameo in 2001 during the fifth episode of Season 27. He hosted the show for the first time a year later for the Season 28 premiere. The actor also made a cameo in 2011 and has hosted the show one other time since then.
Over the years he has impersonated singers Axl Rose and Justin Timberlake, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Brett Kavanaugh and actors Chris Hemsworth and Matthew McConaughey. With a bit of assistance from the makeup department, he wouldn't look too dissimilar from Walz.
Mike Myers
Mike Myers is a comedian who has become known for his impressive—and often spot-on—impressions.
He was an SNL cast member for six seasons, appearing from 1989 to 1995, which won him the Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series.
"He quickly became one of the show's biggest draws thanks to his talent for creating oddball characters with memorable catchphrases," according to Entertainment Weekly.
While he ended his time as a cast member in 1995, he has since appeared on the show as a host and a special guest and has made numerous cameos. He was last on the program back in 2015.
During his time on SNL he mimicked various well-known faces, such as Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II and Adolf Hitler. Myers has laid relatively low in recent years but it's safe to say that impersonating Walz wouldn't be too difficult for the talented comedian.
Jim Gaffigan
Jim Gaffigan is a stand-up comedian who has appeared in various roles across film and television—but he has never appeared on SNL and isn't known for being an impressionist.
However, this doesn't mean he couldn't be hired to play Walz, as he does have the right look to impersonate the politician. While Gaffigan would be a more unusual choice, it isn't completely left of field.
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