With Joe Biden running for US president, NBC’s live sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live needs a celebrity to play him. Actor-comedian Jim Carrey has gotten the job, Saturday Night Live reported on Wednesday.
“There was some interest on his part, and then we responded, obviously, positively,” SNL producer Lorne Michaels told Vulture. “But it came down to discussions about what the take was. He will give the part energy and strength, and hopefully, it’s funny.”
Past celebrities to play the previous VP incorporate Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Nealon, John Mulaney, and most recently actor Woody Harrelson.
SNL will likewise begin the new season with five sequential shows on Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31. This is the first time in the show’s long history it will have this many consecutive episodes.
“I made the decision early on … that we would do something we hadn’t done before, which was five shows in a row,” Michaels said. “Because there are four debates and then it’s Halloween, and that’s the weekend before the election. And sadly, if the election gets extended, then we’ll be doing six or seven shows in a row.”
The show additionally declared that three new comedians – Lauren Holt, Punkie Johnson and Andrew Dismukes – have been added to the cast for the new season.
In accordance with social distancing protocol, the show will likewise have a restricted in-studio crowd at Rockefeller Center in New York City, and will “work closely with Governor Cuomo’s team.”
SNL debuts its new season on NBC on Oct. 3.