Alec Baldwin’s spot-on impression of presidential hopeful Donald Trump is just the latest time that Saturday Night Live has nailed a politician or celebrity and tapped into the pop culture zeitgeist. Over the years, SNL has been home to many fantastic impressions – both from their rank-and-file cast members, and also from celebrity guest hosts such as Baldwin. Here we look at the 10 best impressions ever performed on SNL, by both cast members and guests of the late night program.
10. Will Ferrell as James Lipton
Will Ferrell’s impression of snooty interviewer and host of Inside the Actors Studio, James Lipton, is pretty well perfect. Of course Ferrell did many other great impressions on SNL, notably of Jeopardy host Alex Trebek and Cajun crooner Robert Goulet. However, Ferrell’s impression of Lipton is one of his most accurate. The slow, over-pronounced, self-important voice and operatically insane laugh made for a great parody of Inside the Actors Studio. Plus, Ferrell indulged in the same loopy questions that Lipton was famous for asking his guests, and also perfectly captured the over preparation and detailed information that Lipton liked to show off in his interviews. When the real James Lipton appeared on SNL opposite Wil Ferrell it made for one of show’s great moments. “And then… you ate poo.”