Saturday Night Live kicked off its 50th season with a star-studded cold open that quickly answered the question of who will be portraying key figures during this year’s election cycle.
Most notably, SNL has recruited comedian Jim Gaffigan to portray Kamala Harris’ running mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz. Gaffigan made his debut opposite Maya Rudolph’s Harris during Saturday’s cold open, delivering a knockout impersonation.
The sketch also saw SNL alum Andy Samberg portray Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, while SNL hall of famer Dana Carvey made a surprise cameo as president Joe Biden —his first appearance in Studio 8H in eight years.
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On the GOP side, James Austin Johnson portrayed Donald Trump, while Bowen Yang played his running mate, J.D. Vance.
SNL’s 50th season continues on October 5th with an episode hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze and featuring musical guest Coldplay.
Jim Gaffigan as Tim Walz on SNL. Absolutely perfect, no notes. pic.twitter.com/YlbX4nZFFr
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) September 29, 2024
Guess what, and by the way, Joe Biden is still president #SNLPremiere pic.twitter.com/QpldD6NFSS
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) September 29, 2024