Since the announcement president Joe Biden would be quitting the 2024 presidential race and endorsing vice president Kamala Harris, many on social media have speculated about who should play the vice president on the upcoming season of “Saturday Night Live“.
With the internet reacting to the news with “coconut tree” memes and comments about the infamous Kamala cackle, it was inevitable that people would ponder who’s best for embodying the “SNL” role, which will likely have a lot more play this fall than in the previous season.
Let’s break down whose track record makes them a good candidate for the job.
Maya Rudolph
Maya Rudolph attends the 2024 TIME100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 25, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for TIME)
Many “SNL” fans have already put Maya Rudolph’s name at the top of the list, hoping that she returns to the sketch comedy show in the fall to reprise the role.
In 2019, Rudolph put her comedic spin on the vice president in an SNL sketch ahead of the 2020 presidential election. In fact, her performance playing Harris earned her a Creative Arts Emmy for guest actress in a comedy role.
Harris reacted to seeing the sketch during an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Myers” in 2019.
“First of all, I grew up watching ‘Saturday Night Live,’ so the thought that anyone would be in any way depicting me on ‘Saturday Night Live’ was just… I was a bit overwhelmed,” Harris said. “But I will tell you that I fully intend to make sure she has a good eight years of work on ‘SNL.’”
Rudolph exited SNL as a full time cast member in 2007, but the actress has returned several times since then. Rudolph has yet to comment on any plans to reprise the role as Harris.
Allison Reese
Allison Reese has built quite the fan base online for her Kamala Harris impression since the 2019 Democratic presidential primary.
The 32 year old comedian’s over 200,000 Tik Tok followers tune in daily to watch her satirical sketches. And ever since Biden’s endorsement of Harris on Sunday, she has gained another 10,000 followers.
Reese can be seen wearing pearls, a blazer and a short wig while speaking in a distinct accent on her TikTok videos playing Harris.
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As for her “SNL” aspirations, the social media star has already shown interest. Reese first started by stepping into the role during an SNL” showcase, auditioning for the show’s creator, Lorne Michaels, in 2019.
The audition didn’t ultimately land Reese a role on the sketch show, but she has continued to develop the character since. Five years later, her social media has swelled.
Reese’ most popular videos feature a reenactment of the viral question, “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”
The comedian has been accused of perpetuating an image that makes Harris seem “unintelligent.” The Tik Toker has defended herself by expressing her admiration for Harris and assuring that she supports the vice president.
Estee Palti
Estee Palti has also become known for her Harris impression as a result of her viral Tik Tok videos. Palti first started playing Harris during the pandemic when her friend pointed out that she had a similar voice to the politician.
Since then, she’s garnered 287,000 Tik Tok followers nailing Harris’ voice and laughter. Palti’s social media videos caught the attention of late night producers and landed her a segment on Tucker Carlson Tonight.
“Saturday Night Live” is currently on summer hiatus, but will return in late September for its 50th season.
