Saturday Night Live is known for quite a bit throughout it's nearly 50-season run. Of course, one constant is that it's never shied away from satirical and hilarious political sketches, which Scarlett Johansson and other stars have been a part of. With the forthcoming historic season and an eventual election cycle ahead of us, it’s no surprise that Lorne Michaels and his team have already tapped Maya Rudolph to reprise her role as VP and presidential candidate Kamala Harris. And, now that Harris has officially named her running mate, fans are throwing out some great suggestion for who should play him.
News of Kamala Harris' VP pick comes only a week after it was confirmed that Maya Rudolph would play “Mamala.” (She'll likely act against cast member James Austin Johnson, who does a scary, accurate impression of former President Donald Trump). SNL needs to find the perfect actors for the two VP candidates and, up to this point, Republican candidate J.D. Vance was the only known person in that regard. Now, as of today, it's been confirmed that Harris' pick is Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. So let's talk about the actors that fans want to see take on the role of Walz on the show.
Steve Martin
After the news broke that Vice President Harris’ had picked her running mate, X User @AdamJSmithGa tweeted that SNL better “Get Steve Martin on the phone NOW.” Not only does Martin look similar to Governor Walz, but he also has SNL experience. Despite never having been part of the iconic cast, he’s hosted the show over 15 times and is a member of the elusive Five-Timers Club. With Only Murders in the Building Season 4 set to become available to anyone with a Hulu subscription at the end of August, Martin should have no scheduling conflicts TV-wise.
Tom Arnold
In response to the original tweet, X user @AestheticLifted shared a gif of Roseanne star Tom Arnold from the reality series I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here with the caption:
Ok, but Tom Arnold is right there.
This may not be as popular as the Steve Martin selection, but Tom Arnold would make an excellent choice given his background in comedy. Some users also said that his gruff voice is perfect for a Tim Walz impersonation.
Jim Gaffigan
Stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan’s name was also thrown into the hypothetical hat by an eager fan. X user @lustfoundreads, tweeted:
Why?! Jim Gaffigan is right there and from Illinois.
Despite being a comedian who was inspired by SNL growing up, he’s never appeared or hosted the variety show. Now would be the perfect time to get him on the stage at 30 Rock.
Danny DeVito
X user @PeterTwinklage has other thoughts, tweeting a side-by-side image of Maya Rudolph as Vice President Harris next to an image of Danny DeVito holding up a peace sign. The fan topped that off with the following message:
Respectfully, this is the correct answer.
The It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star is another member of the Five-Timers club. However, he’s not known for his impressions, which would make him an interesting choice for the job.
Jim O'Heir (aka Jerry from Parks and Rec)
A total wild-card selection for the role comes in the form of Jim O’Heir. A picture of him as his iconic Parks and Rec character was tweeted by @SirGametime with little explanation. It’s unclear if they want O’Heir to appear as Governor Walz or if it would be a hybrid sort of impersonation where Jim is playing Jerry playing Walz. Honestly, I don’t hate either idea.
John Goodman
John Goodman rounds out the fan requests. X User @NiteniteMelissa tweeted a gif of the star in what appears to be the Oval Office. The Emmy-winning actor has hosted SNL several times and also has fictional political experience, having guests star on The West Wing. With The Connors set to end on ABC in 2025, his schedule should be quite open, too.
Regardless of who gets tapped to play Governor Walz, the 50th season of Saturday Night should (hopefully) be one of the greatest of all time. And, let’s be honest, quite a bit will need to be done to follow up Season 49, which Ryan Gosling’s infamous Beavis and Butthead skit.
While you wait for an actor to be cast in the role of the Vice Presidential hopeful, know that Season 50 of SNL will air live on NBC on September 28th as part of the 2024 TV Schedule. You can catch the premiere episode and every past episode of the sketch show with a Peacock subscription.
