Steve Martin doesn't want to play Tim Walz on SNL. Here are some ideas for who could.
Since this is a presidential election year, Saturday Night Live will undoubtedly have some special guests on the show to play some of the people running for the White House.
With Maya Rudolph locked in to return as Kamala Harris and SNL cast member James Austin Johnson manning the Donald Trump role right now, the two Vice Presidential candidates are left to be cast.
New Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz has inspired a recent flurry of stunt-casting, with SNL legend Steve Martin at the top of the wish list for fans.
Well, Martin told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday that he did not accept his close friend Lorne Michaels’ invitation to play the candidate.
“I wanted to say no and, by the way, he wanted me to say no,” Martin said in the interview. “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.”
With Martin not in the running to play the Minnesota governor, let’s think of five actors who would fit right in with SNL this fall with a Walz performance.
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DeVito is one of the most beloved actors of his generation, and we feel like he would be the perfect fit to play Walz if he’s interested. Not only do the two look similar, but De Vito’s comedic chops translate perfectly for the role.
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A natural funnyman who would also look just like Walz with a pair of glasses, Gaffigan’s deadpan style could be really great for the possible debate segments. He’s not naturally a sketch actor, but we feel he’d fit right in.
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If it’s up to us, O’Heir gets the role. The absolutely hysterical character actor played Jerry on Parks and Recreation, and while Mayor Gergich is busy serving the good people of Pawnee, O’Heir would take like a fish to water in portraying the Midwestern governor.
For what it’s worth, O’Heir seems game for the job.
I don’t mind being in the mix but that’s the best pic of me that they could come up with? LOL pic.twitter.com/oRNyZw4m0d
— Jim O'Heir (@JimOHeir) August 7, 2024
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Hanks might not seem like the obvious choice, but put some glasses on him and grey his hair up a little, and you’ve got what you need. The legendary SNL guest host will likely pop up on the show this fall to promote his new film Here at some point, so why not have him play Walz for the heck of it?
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Slattery is probably a dark horse candidate for Walz, but he would ace the part. The Mad Men veteran can be funny when he needs to be, and he’d provide an angle on Walz that we’re not sure any other actors could.
