Steve Martin refuses Tim Walz role on 'SNL' despite pleas from fans
Steve Martin has declined the role of Kamala Harris' running mate, Tim Walz, on "Saturday Night Live," after fans deemed him perfect for the role. Maya Rudolph has confirmed she will return to the comedy show to impersonate Harris.
Steve Martin is not interested in impersonating Kamala Harris' running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, on "Saturday Night Live" – despite pleas from fans.
Shortly after Harris announced the Minnesota governor would be her running mate, Martin spoke to the Los Angeles Times about receiving a phone call from "SNL" producer Lorne Michaels asking him to appear on the famed comedy show.
"I wanted to say no and, by the way, he wanted me to say no," Martin told the outlet about his phone call with Michaels.
"I said, 'Lorne, I’m not an impressionist. You need someone who can really nail the guy.' I was picked because I have gray hair and glasses," he continued.
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The actor also noted that the commitment to appearing as Walz on "SNL" would be "ongoing," which doesn't align with his current schedule.
"It’s ongoing. It’s not like you do it once and get applause and never do it again," Martin told the outlet. "Again, they need a real impressionist to do that. They’re going to find somebody really, really good. I’d be struggling."
Shortly after Harris named Walz as her running mate, Martin took to Threads, raising speculation that he would be joining "SNL" alongside Maya Rudolph.
"I just learned that Tim Walz wants to go on the road with Marty Short," Martin wrote.
Martin referenced his "Only Murders in the Building" co-star Martin Short in his post, which prompted fans to point out the physical similarities between Martin and Walz.
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A user on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote, "So Steve Martin is definitely gonna play Walz on ‘SNL’ right."
Another user added, "'SNL' get Steve Martin on the phone NOW."
At the end of July, Deadline reported that Rudolph would return as Harris on "Saturday Night Live" for the 50th season. The actress first portrayed the current Vice President in 2019 when Harris ran for the democratic nomination for president.
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In 2020, the outlet reported that Harris asked Rudolph what it was like to impersonate her on the late-night comedy show.
"In terms of Senator Harris, I didn't have an impression because I wasn't walking around the house doing my 'Kamala.' But I think it starts with trying to get someone's voice if you can," Ruldolph said at the time. "There's nothing crazily overt about Sen. Harris, but I have to tell you, when I got to [SNL] and they put the wig on me, it was done."