Throughout Saturday Night Live’s 50-season run, the stars of the variety sketch series have impersonated hundreds of people in ways that are still talked about. So, as SNL prepares to return for Season 51 on the 2025 TV schedule, I'm starting to anticipate the impersonations the cast will do. However, before we see those, let's throw it back for a second as Kate McKinnon revealed her favorite person to impersonate, and I can’t say I disagree with her pick.
McKinnon left SNL in 2022 after ten seasons on the show and numerous Emmy nominations and wins. During her time on the series, she’s impersonated many notable figures, including Justin Bieber, Hillary Clinton, Ellen DeGeneres, Jane Lynch, Nancy Pelosi, Martha Stewart, and even Rudy Giuliani. While doing a video for Betches that harkened back to her SNL days and even her Bieber impression, McKinnon was asked who her favorite celeb to impersonate was, and she said:
My favorite impression that I did on Saturday Night Live was the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The late Supreme Court Justice was first impersonated on SNL in 2012, with McKinnon portraying her. She made appearances over the years in sketches, but mostly she was featured on Weekend Update. Between her high energy and thoughts on the political system, it was always a highlight seeing RBG on Weekend Update.
After Ginsburg died in September 2020, McKinnon paid tribute to her the following month by silently sitting in the audience dressed as Ginsburg during Weekend Update, followed by a card honoring the late justice.
Playing a prominent figure may not be the easiest thing to do, but McKinnon did it flawlessly. She’s impersonated a number of political figures on SNL and a lot of other celebrities, but it was always fun seeing her as RBG on Weekend Update and watching just how crazy she may or may not get. It wasn’t surprising, though, because when McKinnon commits to a part, she really commits. And the fact that she was able to think up that answer so quickly when asked about her favorite impersonation proves how fun it was for her to do it.
As previously mentioned, McKinnon left SNL in 2022 following a string of rumors surrounding her exit, and despite it being the “best decade,” she felt it was time to move on. She has returned to the series since then, hosting the Christmas show in 2023 for Season 49. She also cameoed later that season and reprised her iconic character, Colleen Rafferty, in a special “Close Encounter” sketch for SNL50: The Anniversary Special earlier this year, with Meryl Streep playing her mother.
Assuming Kate McKinnon returns to Studio 8H for another hosting gig or cameo, it’s quite possible she’ll throw on another impersonation of another notable figure. At the very least, all episodes of SNL are streaming with a Peacock subscription, so fans can always go back and watch their favorites that way or on YouTube.
