Bowen Yang Wants Lorne Michaels to Recast J.D. Vance on ‘SNL’: “Please Don’t Make Me Do This”

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Bowen Yang is tired of impersonating J.D. Vance on Saturday Night Live. 

In September 2024, the actor from “Wicked” initially took on the role of the Vice President of the United States. This was just two months prior to Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election. On a recent episode of “The Daily Show”, Yang expressed his readiness if Lorne Michaels decides to reassign the character of the Republican politician on “SNL” that he had portrayed for less than a year.

Loren asked me to portray Vance, and I responded, ‘Oh, oh, oh please, not this again,'” Yang shared with host Desi Lydic. “I always give it my all when playing him, but each time, I find myself telling Lorne, ‘You have the option to buy me out of this role. You don’t have to keep me.’

The performer and humorist presented a few suggestions for the original creator of SNL regarding his successor: “I suggest you contact Zach Galifianakis. I suggest you contact Taran Killam. However, that’s my suggestion.” Yang mentioned he has found it difficult to depict the vice president due to Vance’s accent.

He shared that he’d been working with an accent coach, aiming for a blend of Appalachian and Ohio dialects. They wanted to strike the perfect balance for his accent, and he expressed his eagerness not to mess it up.

In the opening of the comedy show’s 50th season, Yang was introduced to play Vance, while James Austin Johnson portrayed Trump, Maya Rudolph stepped into the role of Kamala Harris, Jim Gaffigan took on the character of Tim Walz, Dana Carvey became Joe Biden, and Andy Samberg joined as Douglas Emhoff.

Beyond just his unique way of speaking, Yang admitted that taking on the role of Trump’s deputy presented a significant challenge due to the potential backlash he might face, such as people questioning, “Why is this Asian man portraying that character?

He mentioned, “I felt I needed to get it right perfectly. Let me assure you all, I’m putting forth my utmost effort.

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2025-04-12 01:56