As a dedicated SNL fan who’s witnessed countless laugh-out-loud moments over the years, I can confidently say that Dana Carvey‘s return as Joe Biden was nothing short of a masterstroke. The man behind iconic characters like Garth Algar and the Church Lady brought an uncanny resemblance to the President that left me in stitches.
Saturday Night Live has an abundance of significant events lined up for its upcoming season – beyond the already announced hosts and musical guests – as it marks the start of its 2024 TV schedule, celebrating 50 seasons of NBC’s sketch comedy. Coincidentally, this milestone anniversary falls during a particularly vibrant presidential campaign, and SNL is capitalizing on this unique opportunity (and somewhat daring move) by inviting various non-regular cast members to depict key political figures. One such individual is Dana Carvey, who recently shared the entire tale of how Lorne Michaels persuaded him to reprise his role as Joe Biden.
As a die-hard SNL fan, I’ve got to hand it to Dana Carvey – he’s the mastermind behind some of the most hilarious recurring characters during his seven-year run on the show. Fast forward to today, he’s graced our screens as a host four times, dropped by for numerous cameos, and even co-hosts the Fly on the Wall podcast with my fellow SNL alum, David Spade. After surprising us all in the Season 50 premiere, Carvey shared some insights about it during our latest podcast episode.
In early June, our renowned manager, Lorne Michaels, posed an intriguing question: “Would you be open to appearing as Biden on six shows, and then we can part ways?” I pondered over it and thought, “That’s quite neatly packaged, I suppose.” I agreed, and that led to the unusual debate with Trump. Later, another incident involving Biden occurred. Despite this, Lorne was relentless, much like a dog with a bone, continually urging me to make an appearance, even suggesting I might appear as a ghost or something. He just wouldn’t let go of the idea that I should come out on stage.
Dana Carvey had previously discussed making several appearances this season with Lorne Michaels, but then Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race. Despite this, they chose to proceed with his appearance, and audiences were delighted by his decision. The actor famous for Wayne’s World left viewers astonished with his portrayal of the president’s mannerisms, causing a video of him explaining his impersonation technique to go viral following the Saturday Night Live premiere.
He opened up about the process of working with the writers and showing them what he could do, saying:
In my own interpretation of Biden that I formed on this program, we created some intriguing clips. Essentially, it was a playful portrayal of Biden. I had different ideas for him, which I called “hooks.” I requested a meeting with the writers, and they agreed. So, I met with them on Tuesday for approximately half an hour, where I presented my collection of Biden hooks, his signature walk, the “Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” impression, and other elements. They were very welcoming and allowed me to present the Biden character that I envisioned.
As a dedicated fan, I must admit that the idea of incorporating comedians from yesteryears into Saturday Night Live could potentially ruffle some feathers among the current cast members. Yet, hearing about Dana Carvey’s creative process with the writers in developing a script is quite intriguing. Interestingly enough, when it came to those distinctive Biden-isms that truly breathe life into the character, he casually infused them as he progressed through the performance. To quote Dana Carvey himself:
We have our rehearsal on Wednesday, and I hadn’t worked that catchphrase into the script yet, as I wasn’t sure if I had mentioned it. However, I improvised during the rehearsal by adding it here and there. It fit well with the flow of the dialogue, and it got a great response from everyone. The current cast members are delightful individuals, quite young and enthusiastic. They were surprised to learn that ad-libbing is possible even during read-throughs.
It appears that Dana Carvey was just as thrilled with his comeback on Saturday Night Live as the audience, who were equally delighted to see Maya Rudolph reprise her role as Kamala Harris, along with James Austin Johnson’s eerily accurate Donald Trump portrayal, Andy Samberg as Doug Emhoff, Jim Gaffigan as Tim Walz, and Bowen Yang as JD Vance.
Just started is Season 50, and I’m sure there’s lots more fun ahead! Don’t miss out on “Saturday Night Live” every Saturday at 11:30 PM ET on NBC, or stream it with a Peacock subscription.
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2024-10-07 20:37