Steve Martin Explains Why He Declined ‘SNL’ Role to Play Harris’ VP Pick
Actor Steve Martin may have the gray hair and glasses — and even the will of fans — but he will not portray Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, on “Saturday Night Live” Martin talked with the Los Angeles Times after…
Actor Steve Martin may have the gray hair and glasses — and even the will of fans — but he will not portray Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, on “Saturday Night Live”
Martin talked with the Los Angeles Times after Harris announced Walz would be her running mate. He said he received a phone call from Lorne Michaels, a producer at “SNL,” and Michaels asked him to impersonate Walz on the show.
“I wanted to say no and, by the way, he wanted me to say no,” Martin said.
“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,” Martin said.
There was also the matter of scheduling. Martin would be tasked to appear on the show on a continual basis, which did not mesh with his current schedule, Fox News reported.
“It’s ongoing. It’s not like you do it once and get applause and never do it again,” Martin said to the LA Times. “Again, they need a real impressionist to do that. They’re going to find somebody really, really good. I’d be struggling.”