Lorne Michaels: Who Will Play Obama On SNL?

The NYPost’s Don Kaplan interviews Lorne Michaels in the midst of what must be a hectic post-strike rehearsal schedule. On Saturday, SNL returns with Tina Fey – the former headwriter — as their host.

Lorne reveals that Fey was a bit reluctant to do the show. ”She’s doing it because she was asked,” Michaels told Kaplan. ”When I called her, I got a slow yes.” And what can we expect on the show? A Senator Obama impression. From The NYPost:

”How well an ‘SNL’ cast member is able to correctly identify and portray those ‘mildly irritating’ traits will be part of the decision behind who plays Obama Saturday — and possibly for much longer.

”Keenan Thompson – the only black cast member of ‘SNL’ — had been believed to be the favorite for the job, but Michaels says the show has been holding auditions for the part. The only real portrayal of Obama on ‘SNL’ so far was by Obama himself, when he turned up briefly for a sketch last fall.”

(image via msnbc)

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