A new season of SNL means fresh faces are going to get their chance. Season 47 will feature three new actors, while veteran Beck Bennett and Lauren Holt are leaving the show. One of the new cast members could save the show some money, as he can impersonate both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Let’s take a look.
The New Class
Three new faces are joining SNL this season: Aristotle Athari, James Austin Johnson, and Sarah Sherman. Each brings something unique to the table.
Johnson’s already made some waves for his impression of former President Trump. He made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Impersonating the former Celebrity Apprentice host. Here’s a video of him riffing on Super Mario 3D World: Bowser’s Fury.
Trump’s not his only trick, however. He’s also quite capable of doing a good Biden. Johnson is more than capable, even though Johnson and Jim Carrey are both locked down by other performers.
Alex Moffat is currently handling Biden duties. He took over from Jim Carrey. Alec Baldwin’s portrayal of Trump is well-known, and his impression is as legendary as the man himself. Unless Baldwin is tired of having his Saturdays booked, he’ll probably stay on as Trump until the end of time.
Sarah Squirm
Sherman, otherwise known as “Sarah Squirm,’ posted a comical audition tape last October. The video features her performing a series comically horrible impressions before vomiting into the camera. This will give the show a completely new, almost surrealist energy.
Upon the announcement of the cast, Sherman tweeted “SNL just made a HUGE mistake!!” Another marveled at her audition, saying “I can’t believe this worked.”
‘Overall Paranoid Guy’
Athari is a comedian from Los Angeles. This is one of the best weeks of his life, and not just for landing a dream job on SNL. He also got married. He’s a great man!
You may have spotted Athari as Gabe in Silicon Valley. He also starred in eko original series The Coop, and has directed a multitude of video shorts. It would be reasonable to expect him working more in the digital realm Bennett left behind.
It’s very hard to make an impact on SNL in the first few years on the show. It’s not impossible, Bowen Yang got an Emmy nomination before making the main cast, but traditionally folks are slotted at the bottom of the ladder. It’s possible that these three will air on the show, but only time will tell. Kenan Thompson and Kate McKinnon are still very prominent.