Steve Martin seemed like an obvious choice to play Tim Walz on the upcoming season of Saturday Night Live – but it’s not going to happen.
Fans immediately rallied around Martin when the Minnesota governor was confirmed as Kamala Harris’ Democratic running mate in the upcoming presidential election. Martin now confirms that SNL producer Lorne Michaels asked the question, but he’s decided to pass on the offer.
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“I wanted to say ‘no’ – and, by the way, he wanted me to say no,” Martin told the Los Angeles Times. “I said, ‘Lorne, I’m not an impressionist. You need someone who can really nail the guy.’”
He added: “I was picked because I have gray hair and glasses.”
That wasn’t Martin’s only reason for backing away: Playing Walz would be an ongoing commitment. “It’s not like you do it once and get applause and never do it again,” Martin argued. “Again, they need a real impressionist to do that. They’re gonna find somebody really, really good. I’d be struggling.”
‘SNL’ 50th Anniversary Marked by Movie Premiere
SNL’s 50th season is likely to heavily feature Harris and Walz, with the current Vice President to be played again by former cast member Maya Rudolph.
The show returns on Sept. 28. The feature movie Saturday Night, marking the first broadcast in 1972, will hit theaters two weeks later, on Oct. 11.
Described as an exploration of the 90 minutes leading up to the premiere, Saturday Night is based on interviews with those who were there. The film’s cast includes Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels, Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster and Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris. Jon Batiste, who plays the show’s first musical guest, Billy Preston, created the soundtrack.
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Gallery Credit: Corey Irwin