Moments after Vice President Kamala Harris officially selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 presidential race, social media was flooded with calls for Steve Martin to play Walz on Saturday Night Live this fall.
Noticing Martin’s strong resemblance to Walz, from his looks to his friendly Dad vibe, many suggested that the actor and frequent SNL host return to NBC’s late-night comedy series to portray the vice-presidential candidate for the 2024 election. Martin even joined the fun, posting on Threads, “I just learned that Tim Walz wants to go on the road with Marty Short.”
“so Steve Martin is definitely gonna play Walz on SNL right,” user @1AbbyRoad wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that has more than 6.1 million views.
“Steve Martin for #SNL’s Tim Walz We must manifest this, people! #HarrisWalz2024,” another user @MattyHuss added on X.
A different X user @johnlaf13 noted that Walz’s residence in Minnesota looks like the house from Father of the Bride, the beloved 1991 comedy starring Martin, Diane Keaton, Martin Short, and Kimberly Williams. “Not only does Tim Walz look like Steve Martin, his house looks like the Father of the Bride House,” the post reads.
SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels also noticed the calls for Martin to portray Walz and reached out to the actor the next morning, but Martin declined the role.
Why Did Steve Martin Turn Down Playing Tim Walz On Saturday Night Live?
Martin said he turned down portraying Walz on SNL because he’s “not an impressionist,” and the show needed someone who “can really nail” playing the Minnesota Governor.
“I wanted to say no and, by the way, he wanted me to say no,” Martin told the Los Angeles Times on August 7. “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.”
Martin, who is busy working on his Hulu comedy, Only Murders in the Building, said he wasn’t up for the kind of commitment that the SNL schedule demands.
“It’s ongoing,” he explained. “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.”
Although Martin was never an official cast member, he has hosted Saturday Night Live an impressive 16 times. Alec Baldwin currently holds the record with 17 hosting appearances.
The last time Martin hosted the show was in December 2022, when he was joined by longtime collaborator and former SNL cast member Martin Short. Martin and Short currently co-star in Only Murders in the Building, a Hulu show that Martin co-created. The series’ fourth season returns on August 27, 2024.
Maya Rudolph will reprise her role as Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live next season through the 2024 election. The actress and comedian first portrayed Harris in 2020, and her performance as “Mamala” went viral, earning her two Creative Arts Emmy awards.
In the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, SNL brought on Jim Carrey and Maya Rudolph to portray Joe Biden and Kamala Harris from early October through December. Carrey relocated to New York, where SNL is based, for the duration of his time on the show, according to Deadline.
Sources also told the site that Rudolph’s show Loot, which films in Los Angeles, plans to begin production on Season 3 in January 2025, allowing her to be available for SNL in the fall.
SNL has not yet announced who will play Sen J.D. Vance, Former President Donald Trump’s VP running mate, in the upcoming season. Vance is also known for his book “Hillbilly Elegy,” which was adapted into a Netflix movie of the same name in 2020.
When Will Saturday Night Live Return For Season 50?
Saturday Night Live is set to premiere on NBC on September 28, 2024, for the comedy show’s milestone 50th season. Harris and Trump are expected to play a major role in the show’s upcoming season as the series covers the presidential election again.
In other SNL news, cast members Punkie Johnson and Molly Kearney both announced they were leaving the sketch comedy series ahead of its 50th season.
Read the full article here
