Comedian Dana Carvey recently shared insights into his portrayal of Joe Biden on “Saturday Night Live,” highlighting the challenges of impersonating the former president, considering his mental state. Known for his sharp comedic skills, Carvey described the task as “delicate” due to perceptions of Biden’s mental capabilities. In a candid conversation on his podcast, Carvey delved into the complexities of making Biden’s character both entertaining and respectful.
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The Challenge of Satirizing Joe Biden
Dana Carvey discussed how portraying Joe Biden on “SNL” involved navigating the former president’s mental condition. During a new episode of his podcast, “Fly on the Wall,” Carvey remarked on how this made the impersonation “delicate.” He noted, “I knew that he was compromised mentally. I mean, it was obvious. But it was a delicate thing in the comedy world. There were a lot of people who did not want to do anything that would kind of ding him in an awkward way.”
A Balancing Act in Humor
Despite the challenges, Carvey found the experience “surreal” and “bizarre” but ultimately enjoyable. He emphasized to co-host David Spade that his goal was to capture Biden’s quirks without being mean-spirited. “That’s the key, if I can do Biden, if I can make Biden funny to everybody, then I am where I want to be,” Carvey explained. “And to make it funny, it had to be recognizable. And so there were certain things I did not include in my package.”
Spade noted, “I think it’s easier to make fun of him if he’s the president than if it’s just a 90-whatever-year-old man and just go, ‘Look at this a–hole.’ So once he’s president, he’s more fair game. But no one made fun of him forever.”
The SNL Legacy of Portraying Biden
Over the years, multiple “SNL” cast members, including Jason Sudeikis and Mikey Day, have taken on the role of Biden. However, Carvey’s portrayal during the show’s 50th season brought a distinct touch to the character. Lorne Michaels, the creator of “SNL,” had approached Carvey to play Biden even before he left the presidential race. Carvey recalled, “Lorne was like a dog with a bone. He’s still like, ‘You’ll come out. Maybe you’ll appear as a ghost or something.’ He just wanted me to come out anyway. So then I came out.”
The premiere of Season 50 saw Carvey’s first appearance as Biden kept under wraps, as he aimed to “make it funny and not really give it a political message, per se.”