James Austin Johnson, SNL’s most trusted impressionist, has a voice he believes is his best — that of Rolling Stone editor David Fricke — but it’s been repeatedly rejected by the show’s writers and cast. His colleagues laugh, call it “boring,” and urge him to keep trying — even if it never makes it to air.
Saturday Night Live’s most reliable impressionist isn’t allowed to do his best impression — because it’s too obscure. James Austin Johnson, who regularly portrays President Donald Trump with uncanny precision, has one voice he’s been trying to get on air for years — and it’s never made it past dress rehearsal.
After show veteran Fred Armisen revealed during a Television Academy panel that his impression of This American Life host Ira Glass was rejected because “he wasn’t famous enough,” Johnson chimed in with his own version of the same story — and it’s far more personal.
“Fred, I get that a lot at the table,” Johnson said, referring to the writers’ room meeting where cast and crew read through potential sketches. “I get that a lot. ‘Why are we doing this, honey?’ Because I do the voice. ‘Yeah, nobody gives a s—.’”
Johnson was joined by fellow SNL cast members Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Bowen Yang, Sarah Sherman, and Chloe Fineman. (Nwodim and Gardner later left the show ahead of the current 51st season.)
When Sherman prodded him to reveal what voice he was talking about, Johnson revealed it was David Fricke, the longtime Rolling Stone editor known for his in-depth interviews with music legends — including Paul McCartney.
“Wait, did you really, did you really do it?” Armisen asked, amused at the reference, as Johnson’s colleagues nodded that he had.
“I’ve done it so many times. It’s always a resounding no from everyone in the room,” Johnson replied.
“We laugh,” several of his costars insisted.
“You laugh, you laugh because it’s like, ‘Oh, look at James, he’s doing his little cartwheel for us,’” he retorted, insisting, “It’s my best voice. It’s my best impression. I nailed that guy. It’s just, you know, that people don’t want to see it.”
After the group egged him on to do the impression, he warned, “It’s the most boring voice you’ve ever heard in your life,” before providing a demonstration of Fricke discussing Paul McCartney.
Armisen asked if the impression had ever made it to a sketch performed at dress rehearsal.
“No, no, no, no,” Johnson replied. “Every single time they’ve been like, ‘You gotta stop submitting that s—. You gotta stop. There’s no time.’”
For comparison, you can watch the real Fricke discussing McCartney himself below:
Saturday Night Live is currently on winter hiatus before making its expected return sometime in January with new episodes.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
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