From Jay Pharoah’s President Obama to Kate McKinnon’s Justin Bieber, the Saturday Night Live cast has delivered some seriously iconic impressions over the years. However, not every impression is well-received — especially by the people they’re impersonating.
Here are 18 celebs who criticized their SNL impressions:
1.
THE CONTEXT: White Lotus actor Aimee Lou Wood has gotten a lot of attention — and praise! — for her natural teeth (especially in light of the popularity of veneers in Hollywood). She told The Jonathan Ross Show, “It feels so lovely. A real full-circle moment after being bullied for my teeth forever. Now people are clapping in an audience.”
THE SKETCH: “The White POTUS” parodied The White Lotus Season 3 by adding Donald Trump, his family, and other prominent political figures as characters. In a scene with Jon Hamm as RFK Jr., Sarah Sherman played a version of Chelsea, Aimee’s character, with exaggerated teeth and an over-the-top fake accent.
THE CRITICISM: After dispelling rumors that someone at HBO had called her “ugly” on her Instagram story, Aimee said, “But whilst in honest mode — I did find the SNL thing mean and unfunny.” In a follow-up post, she added, “Such a shame, cuz I had such a great time watching it a couple weeks ago. Yes, take the piss for sure – but there must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way?” Sharing a DM from someone who criticized Sarah’s fake accent, Aimee said, “At least get the accent right seriously. I respect accuracy even if it’s mean.”
A few hours later, she added an update to her Instagram story, saying, “I’ve had apologies from SNL.”
2.
THE CONTEXT: Earlier in her career, Jennifer Lawrence was praised for being “relatable” and seemingly “normal” compared to other celebrities. However, this “cool girl” persona later became something she was mocked for.
THE SKETCH: SNL host Ariana Grande impersonated Jennifer Lawrence in “Celebrity Family Feud,” playing up her relatability.
THE CRITICISM: Jennifer told Vogue that the impression was “spot-fucking-on,” but she didn’t quite like the “regular person” joke. She said, “That’s what other people have said. If I’d said, ‘I’m a regular person,’ I’’d want to kill myself.”
3.
THE CONTEXT: Pete Davidson was an SNL cast member from 2014-2022. During his tenure, his relationships with famous women — most notably Ariana Grande and Kim Kardashian — often put him in the pop culture zeitgeist.
THE SKETCH: The show (and Pete himself) often joked about his dating life. For example, in 2022’s “Biden Spider-Man Cold Open,” Pete played a version of President Biden from the “real” world, where most people were better off.
Similarly, in the 2018 sketch “A New Kyle,” Kyle Mooney got a makeover modeled after Pete’s look at the time (bleached hair and lots of tattoos). The sketch also referenced Pete’s relationship with Ariana and the pig they adopted together.
THE CRITICISM: In a 2020 interview with Charlamagne tha God, Pete said, “I personally think I should be done with that show because they make fun of me on it. But I’m, like, cold-open political punchlines. I’m ‘Weekend Update’ jokes. When I’m not there, they’ll be like, ‘Pete’s a fucking jerkface.’ It’s like, whose side are you on? I have a weird feeling in that building, where I don’t know whose team they’re playing for — if I’m the joke or I’m in on the joke. I really wanted last year to be my last year, but I’m still around. If I’m just fodder now, though; maybe I just shouldn’t be there. They think I’m fucking dumb — like, I’m literally painted out to be this big, dumb idiot. I just feel like I’ve done as much as I can over there.”
Then, in 2023, Pete told the podcast REAL ONES with Jon Bernthal, “In 12 years, I’ve dated 10 people. I don’t think that’s that crazy, but to some people, that’s very interesting. That became all anyone would talk about. Suddenly, you’re in this zeitgeist and that has nothing to do with the work. And that’s a really shitty feeling. I became more known before the work was there, but I was always working. I’m cool with the joke. I get the late-night jokes. When your own show [pokes fun at you]…I’d be sitting in the back watching the cold open and — the cold open [is] topical, political humor, whatever’s in the culture. And then, making fun of you. Then you’ve gotta walk out and do a sketch next and hit your mark and the show just made fun of you.”
He continued, “So, why are they gonna laugh at you? Like, they just dogged you in front of everyone. And you’re like, ‘I’m a fucking loser, man.'” These are the people I’ve been with for almost a decade. I grew up in front of these people. They’ve watched me through the most difficult time in my life, and they’ve been there for me. And nobody ever showed more leeway and grace to me than Lorne Michaels, and I owe my life to that guy. But it was fucking confusing ’cause the nature of entertainment is the nature of this business. At the end of the day, that’s what it is. This was a really difficult thing to do. You feel small. You feel super insecure.”
4.
THE SKETCH: In “Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals,” Andy Samberg impersonated Mark Wahlberg with a fake Boston accent, an out-of-breathness, and an almost angry tone, ending each conversation with, “Say hi to your mother for me.”
THE CRITICISM: Mark told the New York Post, ” Someone showed it to me on YouTube. It wasn’t like Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin, that’s for sure. And Saturday Night Live hasn’t been funny for a long time. They’ve asked me to do the show a ton of times. I used to watch it when Eddie Murphy was there and Joe Piscopo and Bill Murray. I don’t even know who’s on the show now.”
He also told Jimmy Kimmel Live, “When I see that kid, I’m going to crack that big fucking nose of his. Then I’m going to tell him, ‘Say hi to your mother for me’….I’m going to go down to 30 Rock, and I’m going to slap him in the nose.. I guaran-fucking-tee you.”
However, Mark later made a cameo in the sketch “Backstage: Mark Wahlberg Confronts Andy Samberg.”
5.
THE SKETCH: When Ariana Grande hosted SNL in 2016, she played a Tidal intern who impersonated several famous singers to save the streaming service during a glitch. She started by singing a rendition of “…Baby One More Time” in her “best Britney Spears voice.”
THE CRITICISM: In a radio interview for KISS FM UK, Britney said, “That’s funny. That’s really funny, wow. I’ve heard better.” However, she also added praise for Ariana’s real singing voice, saying, “She’s very good…I love her voice. It’s very smooth.”
6.
THE SKETCH: In a series of 2009 Today parodies, Kristen Wiig donned a blonde wig to play host Kathie Lee Gifford. She portrayed her as ditzy and cringey.
THE CRITICISM: On Today, Kathie Lee said, “Everyone seems to enjoy it, but I don’t think it’s that funny.”
7.
THE SKETCH: During her tenure on SNL, Maya Rudolph played Donatella Versace as a recurring character.
The CRITICISM: Donatella told the LA Times that she found the impression “hilarious.” However, she said, “I talked to her on the phone once, and I gave her a suggestion on how to do me better.” Her two constructive criticisms were, “I don’t drink” and “Take off the jewelry because it looks too fake — I only wear real.”
8.
THE CONTEXT: In 2024, Katt Williams did an extremely viral interview with Club Shay Shay. He made a lot of outlandish claims and took shots at many of his peers.
THE CRITICISM: Speaking at the Vulture Festival several months later, Katt criticized the impression, but his criticism included misogynistic comments. He said, “There has never been a person that has been parodied nine times on Saturday Night Live and yet never been invited other than me. So, I, at this point, take it as a badge of honor that they don’t fuck with me…A lot of time, when people are doing an impression of you, they’re really showing how they feel about you, you know what I mean? For Saturday Night Live to have an impression of me and have a woman do that, it means that they think I’m a bitch, and I understand that that’s what they’re saying when they do that.”
9.
THE CONTEXT: Big Cat Rescue owner Carole Baskin criticized Netflix’s hit docuseries Tiger King, which she said was originally pitched to her as an exposé on the exploitation and abuse of big cats in zoos. On her sanctuary’s website, she wrote, “There are not words for how disappointing it is to see that the docuseries not only does not do any of that, but has had the sole goal of being as salacious and sensational as possible to draw viewers. It has a segment devoted to suggesting, with lies and innuendos from people who are not credible, that I had a role in the disappearance of my husband Don 21 years ago. The series presents this without any regard for the truth or, in most cases, even giving me an opportunity before publication to rebut the absurd claims. They did not care about truth. The unsavory lies are better for getting viewers.”
THE CRITICISM: On The Pet Show podcast, Carole said, “I could just slap that woman! This whole, ‘My kitty, meow, meow, kitty, meow,’ and then she would just say these really weird words all in a row. That all became popular, I guess, in popular culture and people wanted me to talk like that on the Cameos. And I’m like, ‘I have no idea how to talk like that. That is not how I speak.'”
Addressing the announcement that then-SNL cast member Kate McKinnon was going to play her in Joe vs. Carole, Carole added, “[Kate] has not reached out to me, and I really hope that she does before she gets too far down the line with it. I’d love to know what her take is on it and what she’s thinking to do and see if there was any way we could advise her.”
10.
THE SKETCH: A 2014 Fox and Friends parody mocked the way the show discussed climate change and Obamacare. Cosmos host Neil deGrasse Tyson, played by Kenan Thompson, appeared as a guest and tried to convince the hosts that climate change is real.
That particular sketch is only available to stream (Season 39, Episode 17, “Anna Kendrick: April 5, 2014”), but here’s a “Weekend Update” clip where Kenan played Neil deGrasse Tyson again:
View this video on YouTube
NBC / Via youtube.com
THE CRITICISM: Neil told Business Insider, “I thought they could have done a little better.” He also said that he’d tell executive producer Lorne Michaels, “I’m honored and flattered that you would think of representing me, particularly in that context on Fox News. But I think your comedians and actors have more accurately portrayed other people than [Kenan] portrayed me. So there’s some room for improvement.” However, he also added, “If the universe prompts people — artists — to have fun, then more power to it. It is a sign that science has become mainstream and that can only be a good thing.”
11.
THE CONTEXT: The 2023 Academy Awards were a big night for Irish actors, largely due to the critical success of The Banshees of Inisherin. A quarter of the acting nominees were Irish.
THE SKETCH: The night before the Oscars aired, SNL‘s “Oscars Red Carpet Cold Open” sketch cycled through impressions of several nominees. Playing The Banshees of Inisherin costars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, Mikey Day and Molly Kearny spoke in incomprehensible fake Irish accents.
THE CRITICISM: The sketch was criticized for its stereotypical portrayal of Irish people, and the joke about drinking was called insensitive because Colin Farrell has openly spoken about his sobriety. During the Oscars broadcast, the actor called out the sketch when host Jimmy Kimmel made a similar joke about Irish accents.
12.
THE SKETCH: During SNL‘s inaugural 1976 season, Gilda Radner did an exaggerated impression of Barbara Walters called “Barbara Wawa.” She spoke in an Elmer Fudd–like voice.
THE CRITICISM: Decades later, Barbara told The Television Academy Foundation, “I hated the Gilda Radner ‘Bawa Wawa’ until I walked into my daughter’s room one night [and] she was up watching it. It was a Saturday night. I said, ‘What are you doing up?’ and she said ‘I’m watching Bawa Wawa, Mom.’ And I said, ‘Well, I mean, how, well, you know, look what she’s doing.’ And my daughter said, ‘Oh, Mommy, lighten up.’ And then I did.”
13.
THE SKETCH: In a 2021 “Weekend Update” bit, Bowen Yang and Kyle Mooney portrayed Pretend It’s a City costars Fran Lebowitz and Martin Scorsese.
THE CRITICISM: Fran didn’t see the sketch because she “never watch[es] TV deliberately.” However, when the LA Times brought it up, she said, “I was home reading. People started calling me because they saw it. I would not have watched it even if I knew. I said, ‘If you’ve never had a caricature drawn of you, you might think this is a great thing [to be parodied] — but no one likes them.'”
In response, Bowen told Late Night with Seth Meyers, “I think that’s confirmation that she’s seen it and that she doesn’t care for it, and I think that’s the highest compliment you could possibly get from someone like Fran.”
14.
THE SKETCH: When Jennifer Lopez hosted SNL in 2019, Melissa Villaseñor pitched an idea for a sketch where she did her J.Lo impression. She told AV Club, “I was telling her, ‘Oh, maybe I can imitate you in a sketch. You know, I could walk around your house and pretend I’m like J.Lo and be like, ‘My favorite color’s blue.'”
THE CRITICISM: Jennifer declined the idea. Melissa told AV Club, “My J. Lo impression is very specific. It is kind of the J. Lo that’s very serious. When I met J. Lo, I think I did my impression for her, and she was like, ‘I don’t see it.’ I love J. Lo. I mean, truly a legend…[After hearing the pitch] J. Lo grabbed me. She was like, ‘Baby, my favorite color is green. Everyone knows that.'”
15.
THE CONTEXT: Former SNL cast member Pete Davidson and Machine Gun Kelly are good friends.
THE SKETCH: In the 2021 sketch “The People’s Kourt,” Pete Davidson and Chloe Fineman played MGK and his then-partner, Megan Fox. In character, Pete mumbled when he spoke.
THE CRITICISM: Sharing a clip on his Instagram story, MGK said, “Pete, you know damn well I don’t talk like that.” On Twitter, he also said, “I think it’s time for me to come on the show as Pete.”
16.
THE SKETCH: In 2015, the “Democratic Debate Cold Open” sketch had several of SNL‘s most iconic political impersonations, such as Kate McKinnon as former first lady Hillary Clinton and Larry David as Senator Bernie Sanders. Jon Rudnitsky played panel moderator Anderson Cooper.
THE CRITICISM: On Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Anderson said, “I didn’t think it was very good. Seth Meyers did a spoof of me years ago that was really funny, and I’m all for being spoofed. It was like the only thing [Jon] knew about me was that I was gay, so that’s sort of what he went with.” He also said that he’d been invited to cameo in the sketch himself, but he turned it down due to scheduling conflicts.
17.
THE CONTEXT: David A. Paterson was governor of New York from 2008–2010. He is legally blind, and, according to the New York Times, he was “well-known for making light of his vision problems” while in office.
THE SKETCH: In a 2008 “Weekend Update” bit, Fred Armisen portrayed Gov. Paterson by squinting one eye and speaking with a lisp.
THE CRITICISM: Per the New York Times, a statement from the governor’s office said, “The governor engages in humor all the time, and he can certainly take a joke. However, this particular Saturday Night Live skit unfortunately chose to ridicule people with physical disabilities and imply that disabled people are incapable of having jobs with serious responsibilities. The governor is sure that Saturday Night Live, with all of its talent, can find a way to be funny without being offensive.”
Fred continued to impersonate Gov. Paterson multiple times over the next two years. However, on a 2010 episode, the governor himself made a cameo alongside the actor.
18.
And finally, THE SKETCH: Similarly, in a 2018 “Weekend Update” bit, Pete Davidson mocked Dan Crenshaw, a congressman-elect who wears an eyepatch, as one of the “really gross people running for office this year.”
THE CRITICISM: Due to backlash from viewers, Pete returned to “Weekend Update” and apologized on air. Then he brought out Dan, who proceeded to roast Pete right back.
Which celeb do you think had the most (or least!) valid criticism of their impression on SNL? Share your thoughts in the comments!
