Steve Martin has issued a statement explaining why he turned down Lorne Michaels’ offer to play Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, on Saturday Night Live.
Some of the most lucrative roles on SNL are portraying important political figures during election years, and almost as soon as Walz was announced as Kamala Harris’ running mate, there was speculation about who would play him on SNL alongside the returning maya Rudolph as Kamala Harris.
The popular choice was legendary comedy actor, writer, and banjo player Steve Martin. Martin does bear some resemblance to Walz, and Martin even joked about it on social media by quipping, “I just learned that Tim Walz wants to go on the road with Marty Short.”
The Saturday Night Live producer obviously thought Martin was the chosen one, as he swiftly contacted Martin about playing Walz on the show. But Martin wasn’t that keen and declined the offer.
Steve Martin rules out playing Tim Walz
In a statement to the LA Times, Martin said,
“I wanted to say no and, by the way, he wanted me to say no, 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.”
Beyond that, Martin felt it was a bit too much of a commitment.
“It’s ongoing. It’s not like you do it once and get applause and never do it again. Again, they need a real impressionist to do that. They’re gonna find somebody really, really good. I’d be struggling.”
That’s not to say we won’t see Martin on the show again in the near future. Saturday Night Live enters its 50th season on September 28, 2024. That landmark season is very likely to bring big names from the show’s past back for guest stints and skits.
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