“Saturday Night Live” Gears Up for Historic 50th Season Ahead of Election
As “Saturday Night Live” prepares to enter its milestone 50th season, the iconic sketch comedy show is once again ready to spoof political figures, attempting to inject humor into a divisive landscape. Creator Lorne Michaels has announced plans to welcome back beloved former cast members to Studio 8H, particularly in light of the upcoming election in November.
“I want to celebrate this season with people coming back who’ve been part of the show and who love the show — not so much as hosts but just making appearances, and so the election is a chance for that because that’s five or six shows,” Michaels shared during an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, which was published Thursday.
The lineup promises a mix of familiar faces, as Michaels confirmed that “SNL” alum Maya Rudolph will reprise her role as Vice President Kamala Harris. Although there has been public outcry for Steve Martin to appear as Harris’ running mate Tim Walz, Michaels clarified that Martin will be part of the season, but not in that capacity.
Regarding the portrayal of former President Donald Trump, Michaels chose not to disclose whether Alec Baldwin would step back into the role he famously played on “SNL.” However, he did confirm that current cast member James Austin Johnson, who has also taken on the role of Trump, “will be there” in some capacity.
“Trump has morphed,” Michaels noted, emphasizing the need to refresh the portrayal of Trump and other political figures. “We are going to have to reinvent it again because, well, you saw the debate. One of the great parts of show business is that you can’t come back with the same show. So, all of these characters have to be reexamined.”
Michaels expressed confidence in the cast’s ability to tackle the political landscape. “We have the people to play (the candidates) and it should be fun,” he added.
In discussing the tone of political satire that “SNL” will take, Michaels remarked, “You can’t lecture the audience, which most of politics is now, people lecturing the audience. Ours is like, ‘Yeah, there are kind of idiots on both sides.’ It has to be comedy. We’re first and foremost a comedy show.”
“SNL” will officially kick off its 50th season on September 28 on NBC. “Hacks” star Jean Smart is slated to host the premiere episode, with Jelly Roll set to take the stage as the musical guest.