‘SNL’ reveals plan to ‘reinvent’ Trump for 2024 election season

Before the 50th season of the sketch show Saturday Night Live Creator Lorne Michaels talks about how they will approach the portrayal of Donald Trump in future episodes.

In a joint interview with actors Michael Che and Colin Jost, published on Thursday, Michaels The Hollywood Reporter that they had to “reinvent” their impression of Trump.

“And Trump has changed. James (Austin Johnson), who I think is brilliant, portrayed Trump as a sort of shrunken Trump. The guy in the back of the hardware store holding court, and that worked because it felt relevant. But we’re going to have to reinvent it again because, well, you saw the debate,” Michaels said.

In past seasons, Trump has been portrayed by a long list of actors, but the most famous was probably Alec Baldwin. In more recent sketches, however, comedian James Austin Johnson has taken on the presidential candidate.

“The great thing about show business is you can’t come back with the same show, so all the characters have to be revisited, and if they make sense and seem relevant, you know you’re on the right track. But if you feel like you’re talking to the audience and you want support because your values ​​align with those of the audience, then you really shouldn’t be in comedy,” Michaels added.

According to Michaels, season 50 will feature a new Trump as well as the return of other popular SNL alums.

“And I want to celebrate this season with people who came back and love the show – not so much as hosts, but just through their performances. And the election is a chance to do that, because it’s about five or six shows,” Michaels told the publication.

While he remained tight-lipped about the return of all the stars, it was confirmed that Maya Rudolph will appear as Kamala Harris during the election season.