15 Celebrities Who Loved Being Impersonated On "SNL" And 10 Who Did Not Find It Amusing

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Saturday Night Live has spoofed celebrities and politicians for nearly five decades. Some people are flattered by their impersonations on the show. However, others are not quite in on the joke.


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Here are 15 famous people who found their impersonations amusing:

1.

Dr. Fauci

Brad Pitt wearing a grey wig and thin framed glasses side by side with Dr. Fauci


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Dr. Fauci was played by Oscar-winning actor Brad Pitt. “I think he showed that he is really a classy guy when at the end he took off his hair and thanked me and all of the healthcare workers,” Dr. Fauci told Telemundo’s Un Nuevo Dia. “So not only is he a really great actor, but he is actually a classy person.” It’s no wonder Fauci always responds “Brad Pitt” when asked who should play him in a movie!

2.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Kate McKinnon in a black robe with a white lace collar side by side with RBG


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Kate McKinnon portrayed an energetic and feisty Ruth Bader Ginsburg many times on the show! The impression quickly became a fan favorite. It turns out the Supreme Court justice was a fan too! Ginsburg said at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, “I liked the actress who portrayed me, and I would like to say ‘Gins-burned!’ sometimes to my colleagues.”

3.

James Lipton

Will Ferrell with a receding hairline and glasses side by side with James Lipton


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The Inside the Actors Studio host had nothing but good things to say about Will Ferrell’s famous sketch. “I have never been so grateful in my life as I am to Will Ferrell,” James Lipton told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live

4.

Ellen DeGeneres

Kate McKinnon dressed as Ellen in a black sweater over a collared shirt side by side to Ellen wearing a similar outfit on her show


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Kate McKinnon has impersonated Ellen in SNL sketches like “Jurassic Park Auditions,” “Kid’s Choice Awards Orange Carpet,” and even on Ellen’s own talk show! The pair presented a monologue together in matching outfits and danced through the audience to start the show. “I didn’t like it. I’m just kidding — I’m Ellen!” DeGeneres joked with McKinnon about the impression. 

5.

Jennifer Aniston

Vanessa Bayer dressed with the signature "Rachel" haircut from "Friends" side by side with Jennifer Aniston with the same hair


NBCUniversal / Andrew Eccles, NBC / Courtesy Everett Collection

When Jennifer Aniston first heard about Vanessa Bayer’s impression on SNL, she was worried she was being mocked. “Everyone said it was a compliment, but I had to really get my brain around that and tuck my little tail between my legs, thinking I’m being made fun of,” Aniston told InStyle editor-in-chief Laura Brown. “That’s always the gut instinct: ‘They’re making fun of me.'” However, the Friends star warmed up to the impression and ate nachos with Bayer during a Weekend Update cameo

6.

Steve Harvey

Kenan Thompson in a bald cap hosting "Family Feud" side by side with Steve Harvey actually hosting "Family Feud"


NBCUniversal, Byron Cohen / ABC via Getty Images

Kenan Thompson hits the nail on the head each time he impersonates Steve Harvey. The Family Feud host is in on the joke, but never fails to throw a few punches Kenan’s way. “We all know that Kenan’s career is alive and well because of me,” Harvey told Extra. “I want to kick his ass, but it’s pretty funny though.”

7.

Miley Cyrus

Vanessa Bayer with long brown hair side by side with a young Miley Cyrus


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Vanessa Bayer’s Miley Cyrus impression sparked a recurring sketch titled “The Miley Cyrus Show.” Cyrus even appeared in the sketch, but opted to play Justin Bieber instead of herself. When asked about how Miley felt about the impression, Bayer told Conan, “She’s always so great about it.” Bayer even gave Cyrus some tips at how to better play herself! 

8.

Bernie Sanders

Larry David as Bernie on the debate stage talking with his hands side by side with Bernie on a debate stage talking with his hands


Dana Edelson / NBCU Photo Bank / NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images, MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Senator Bernie Sanders was honored by Larry David’s spot-on impression of him. “I think we’ll use Larry at our next rally. He does better than I do,” Sanders told ABC. Funnily enough, the Curb Your Enthusiasm star discovered he and Sanders were distant cousins while filming an episode of Finding Your Roots on PBS! 

9.

Denzel Washington

Jay Pharoah dressed in a black shirt and suit jacket side by side with Denzel wearing the same thing


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Jay Pharoah played Denzel Washington working at a retail counter in a sketch back in 2010. “I think the kid is very talented,” Washington told Access Hollywood. “I had seen him before that. He’s got a thing on YouTube where he does me and Will Smith. He’s very good at both.” 

10.

Jennifer Lawrence

Ariana Grande with short blonde hair wearing a name tag that says "Jennifer" side by side to Jennifer Lawrence with the same haircut


NBCUniversal, Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic / Getty Images

When Ariana Grande hosted SNL in 2017, she was praised for her impeccable portrayal of Jennifer Lawrence playing Celebrity Family Feud. While Lawrence insists she would never refer to herself as a “regular person” like Grande does in the sketch, she told Vogue the impression was “spot-fucking-on.”

11.

Alex Trebek

Will Ferrell wearing a boxy suit and a mustache side by side with a younger Alex Trebek


NBCUniversal, ABC / Courtesy Everett Collection

Alex Trebek was always a great sport about Saturday Night Live‘s recurring Jeopardy sketch. “I loved them,” Trebek told the Television Academy. “It means you’ve arrived. If you do a take-off of somebody, it is a sign that you believe your audience will immediately recognize who you’re poking fun at.” And while he loved Will Ferrell’s impression, the game show host maintained Eugene Levy did the best Trebek ever. 

12.

Martha Stewart

Ana as Martha in the kitchen side by side to Martha in the kitchen


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Martha Stewart has been parodied by many comedians, but when someone asked her about her favorite impression on a Reddit AMA she replied, “Ana Gasteyer on SNL did a good job.” Gasteyer reprised her impression of Martha time and time again on the show and even did a “Topless Christmas Special” in character!

13.

Oprah Winfrey

Maya Rudolph with a short black bob hosting "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on "SNL" side by side with a photo of Oprah


NBCUniversal, George Burns / ©Harpo Productions / Courtesy: Everett Collection

Maya Rudolph absolutely nails her boisterous impression of Oprah Winfrey on SNL. After spoofing “Oprah’s Favorite Things,” Oprah invited Maya to appear on an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show titled “The Funniest People In America.” Rudolph told Conan that Oprah liked the impression and was just happy to be played by a woman after previously being parodied by Tim Meadows

14.

George H.W. Bush

Dana Carvey doing an impression of George H.W. Bush side by side to President George H.W. Bush


NBC / courtesy Everett Collection, David Hume Kennerly / Getty Images

No one mastered President George H.W. Bush’s unique cadence quite like Dana Carvey. So when Bush lost his re-election in 1992, he invited Carvey to the White House as a moral booster for his staff. “I was staying in the Lincoln bedroom last night and I couldn’t resist picking up the phone, and I called up the Secret Service as the president. ‘Feel like going jogging tonight — in the nude,'” Carvey told CBS. Carvey and the Bushes maintained a friendship until the former president died in 2018.

15.

Donatella Versace

Maya Rudolph in an orange dress with a long blonde wig side by side with Donatella Versace in a similar dress with the same haircut


Dana Edelson / NBCU Photo Bank / NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images, Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Maya Rudolph’s famous Donatella Versace impression was featured in sketches like “Donatella Versace Goes Skiing” and “Versace Pockets.” Versace found the impression humorous and even called Rudolph with pointers. “I talked to her on the phone once, and I gave her a suggestion on how to do me better,” said Versace on The View

And here are 10 famous people who weren’t fans:

16.

Sarah Palin

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin giving a thumbs down side by side to Sarah Palin giving two thumbs up


NBCUniversal, Cheryl Gerber / Getty Images

Tina Fey’s impression of Sarah Palin throughout the 2008 presidential election was a knockout. Despite SNL poking fun at her expense, the Alaska governor made an appearance alongside Fey in an episode that drew 14 million views! “I know that they portrayed me as an idiot, and I hated that, and I wanted to come on the show and counter some of that,” Palin said about her appearance.

17.

Carole Baskin

Chloe Fineman in a long blonde wig with a headband across her forehead next to Carole Baskin smiling with a flower crown across her forehead


NBCUniversal, Frank Ockenfels / ABC via Getty Images

Tiger King‘s Carole Baskin was not at all impressed when Chloe Fineman parodied her on the sketch show. “I could just slap that woman,” Baskin told The Pet Show podcast. “That is not how I speak.”

18.

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber in his black and white Calvin Klein ad side by side with Kate McKinnon in the same position


NBCUniversal, NBCUniversal

Kate McKinnon famously parodied Justin Bieber’s 2015 Calvin Klein’s campaign. “Bieber wasn’t too upset by my impression of him, but he wasn’t pleased,” McKinnon shared in Live From New York: An Uncensored History Of Saturday Night Live.

19.

Kathie Lee Gifford

Kristen Wiig drinking a glass of wine in a red dress side by side with Kathie Lee Gifford drinking a glass of wine in a red dress


NBCUniversal, Peter Kramer / NBC / NBC Newswire / NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Fans of SNL always enjoyed when Kristen Wiig spoofed Today‘s Kathie Lee Gifford. Gifford on the other hand was not pleased by Wiig’s tipsy portrayal. “Can’t she get another job?” Kathie asked Hoda. “Go off and do something else?”

20.

Mark Wahlberg

Andy Samberg dressed in a collared shirt under a coat with short brown hair side by side with Mark Wahlberg in a collared shirt under a coat


NBCUniversal / FilmMagic / Getty Images, FilmMagic for HBO / Getty Images

Mark Wahlberg was not thrilled by Andy Samberg’s impression of him in the sketch “Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals.” Despite audiences loving the skit, Wahlberg thought it could have been better, especially as a fan of Samberg. “I met him in Canada when he was shooting that movie Hot Rod, and I liked Hot Rod,” Wahlberg told MTV. “Hot Rod was funnier than that skit, I thought. I just wish it was a little bit funnier.”

21.

Donald Trump

Alec Baldwin in a blonde comb over wig with orange skin side by side with Trump


Will Heath / NBC / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images, Joe Raedle / Getty Images

It’s no secret Donald Trump wasn’t pleased by Alec Baldwin’s impression of him on SNL. The pair consistently made public jabs at each other on Twitter. Trump once wrote, “Alec Baldwin, whose dying mediocre career was saved by his terrible impersonation of me on SNL, now says playing me was agony. Alec, it was agony for those who were forced to watch.” However, audiences and critics disagreed with Trump and Baldwin took home the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

22.

Barbara Walters

Gilda Radner wearing a voluminous blonde wig side by side with Barbara Walters with similar hair in the '70s


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Barbara Walters did not appreciate Gilda Radner’s iconic “Baba Wawa” sketch. Naturally, Walters specifically disliked the mockery of her speech impediment. However, after Gilda’s death in 1989, Walters came around to the portrayal. “Gilda was so wonderful; the sketch immortalized me,” she told The News. “But at the time I wasn’t so thrilled.”

23.

Ivanka Trump

Scarlett Johansson smiling in a blonde wig side by side with Ivanka Trump


NBCUniversal, Jean Baptiste Lacroix / WireImage / Getty Images

Scarlett Johansson stared as Ivanka in a sketch titled “Complicit,” a parody perfume ad that called out Ivanka for her role in her father’s presidency. Omarosa Manigault Newman wrote about Ivanka’s reaction to the sketch in her book Unhinged“We’d all been hit, many of us in the same week’s show. But Ivanka would not stop talking about being ribbed. Like her father, Ivanka was thin-skinned and could not seem to take a joke.”

24.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Kenan Thompson wearing a sun and stars vest under a suit jacket side by side with Neil deGrasse Tyson wearing the exact same outfit


NBCUniversal, Joe Scarnici / Getty Images for National Geographic

The astrophysicist found that Kenan Thompson’s portrayal of him in a Fox and Friends sketch left much to be desired. Tyson shared with Insider what he would say to executive producer Lorne Michaels about the parody: “‘Lorne, I’m honored and flattered that you would think of representing me, particularly in that context on Fox News. But I think your comedians and actors have more accurately portrayed other people than he [Kenan] portrayed me. So there’s some room for improvement.”

25.

And, Sean Spicer

Melissa McCarthy with a receding hairline wearing a suit and blue tie side by side with Sean Spicer in the same outfit


NBCUniversal, Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Melissa McCarthy made waves with her hilarious impression of Sean Spicer. Yet, the former press secretary didn’t take too kindly to some of the sketches. “I think that there were parts of it that were funny, but there’s a lot of it that was over the line,” Spicer told Sean Hannity. “It wasn’t funny. It was stupid, or silly, or malicious.”

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