SNL taps Jim Carrey to play Joe Biden

Vulture

Carrey will recur on Saturday Night Live's Season 46 as the Democratic presidential candidate opposite Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump. Lorne Michaels announced the news in an interview with Vulture where he also confirmed Maya Rudolph will reprise her Kamala Harris role. “You’ll see the same people," Michaels said. "I mean, Maya Rudolph is coming back, and Alec will be back. And Jim Carrey is going to do Biden." Michaels explained that the casting started with Carrey expressing interest for the part, and then “it came down to discussions of what his take was … He will give the part energy and strength, and (Laughs) hopefully it’s funny.” Carrey will become the fourth person on SNL to portray Biden. Jason Sudeikis impersonated Biden for years. But last season, Woody Harrelson also assumed the role on three episodes, followed by John Mulaney for a cold open. SNL Season 46 premieres Oct. 3. In an extended interview, Vulture's Jesse David Fox asked Michaels, "What made you decide to shift toward having the big political impressions go to celebrity cameos?" Michaels responded: "I honestly don’t think of them as celebrity cameos. I think that’s the sort of New York Times approach to thinking about things. Alec Baldwin’s probably done the show 25 or 30 times. He’s just part of an extended group in the same way that if Tina Fey has something meaningful to say on Update, we’d welcome her. It’s the same way with Maya (as Kamala) — you saw what she brought to it. So, I don’t think of it that way. Beck (Bennett) will be doing Pence because he does it brilliantly. And also, you’re talking about candidates who are in their 70s. When you put someone 28 in that makeup, it just different. Obviously Woody (Harrelson) did Biden on the first show last season and did it brilliantly. Jason (Sudeikis) has done it in the past. Part of it also is whoever does it has to basically relocate to New York because of quarantine. So, there were a lot of factors involved in that. But I’m thrilled Jim’s doing it."