The Hollywood legend Steve Martin is opening up about why he refused an offer from Saturday Night Live! to play Kamala Harris’ running mate Tim Walz on the show next season.
Martin Turns Down Offer
Immediately after Harris chose Walz as her running mate earlier this week, Martin received a call from SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels. Since Martin and Walz have a resemblance to one another, Michaels thought that he would be perfect to play the Minnesota governor.
Martin, however, wasn’t having it. He “politely and promptly” turned down the offer.
“I wanted to say no and, by the way, he wanted me to say no,” Martin explained.
“I said, ‘Lorne, I’m not an impressionist,” Martin continued. “You need someone who can really nail the guy.’ I was picked because I have gray hair and glasses.”
That’s true, but Steve Martin is also one of the funniest comedians of all time – which is the biggest selling point!
Martin was also put off by the time commitment that would come from agreeing to play Walz.
“It’s ongoing,” he stated. “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.”
Related: Steve Martin Announces He’s Likely Retiring From Hollywood After 60 Year Career
Martin Is On Tour With Martin Short
Immediately after Walz was announced as Harris’ running mate, Martin took to Threads to address their resemblance.
“I just learned that Tim Walz wants to go on the road with Marty Short,” he wrote.
This was a reference to Martin’s Only Murders in the Building co-star Martin Short. The two of them are currently on their “Dukes of Funnytown” tour.
This tour was likely another reason why Martin turned down the offer to portray Walz. Various shows are already booked for the dates between the September 28 premiere of Saturday Night Live! and Election Day on November 5.
Short previously played Vice President Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff on Saturday Night Live! in 2021. Short was in the cast of Saturday Night Live! for season 10, appearing in episodes from 1984 to 1985.
Meanwhile, Martin has never officially been on the Saturday Night Live! cast. However, he has hosted the show 16 times, with the first time being in 1976. This is second only to Alec Baldwin for the most Saturday Night Live! hosting gigs. Baldwin has hosted the NBC sketch comedy show 17 times.
Related: Watching Steve Martin Compete With Kermit The Frog On ‘Dueling Banjos’ Will Leave You With a Smile
Maya Rudolph Signs On To Play Harris
Maya Rudolph has already signed on to play Harris in the next Saturday Night Live! season. She was previously a cast-member on the show from 2000 until 2007. Pre-production on Rudolph’s Apple TV+ series Loot has been pushed back for “scheduling reasons,” which indicates that she plans to be busy with Saturday Night Live! for much of the fall.
Now that Martin has turned down playing Walz, it remains to be seen who will actually portray him on Saturday Night Live! Social media has suggested stars like Jim O’Heir from Parks and Rec, John Goodman, Jim Gaffigan, and even Danny DeVito.
It remains to be seen who will actually be chosen for the coveted gig!
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