Steve Martin Says He Won’t Return to ‘SNL’ as Tim Walz

Steve Martin has heard the calls, but sadly won’t be taking things to the Saturday Night Live stage.

Hours after Vice President Kamala Harris announced that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz would be her running mate in the 2024 election, Martin addressed the pleas fans were making for him to play a version of Walz on Saturday Night Live – and join Maya Rudolph, who has already confirmed she’ll reprise Harris on the upcoming 50th season.

In a post on Threads, Martin, 78, wrote, “I just learned that Tim Walz wants to go on the road with Marty Short.”

The joke – which referenced his Only Murders in the Building co-star and frequent stand-up comedy partner Martin Short – got fans excited as they were quick to point out the similarities in looks between Martin and Walz, 60, and expressed their hopes for Rudolph and Martin to team up on SNL as caricatures of the Democratic ticket.

One person on X (formerly known as Twitter) shared a side-by-side photo of the actor and the Minnesota governor, writing, “So Steve Martin is definitely gonna play Walz on SNL right.”

Another person wrote, “SNL get Steve Martin on the phone NOW.”

Despite fans’ calls and a subsequent offer from SNL creator Lorne Michaels, Martin confirmed he wouldn’t be returning to the late-night series.

“I wanted to say no and, by the way, he wanted me to say no,” Martin told The Los Angeles Times after disclosing how Michaels had called him. “I said, ‘Lorne, I’m not an impressionist. You need someone who can really nail the guy.’ I was picked because I have gray hair and glasses.”

Noting how much of a commitment it would be to take on the role, Martin added: “It’s ongoing. It’s not like you do it once and get applause and never do it again. Again, they need a real impressionist to do that. They’re gonna find somebody really, really good. I’d be struggling.”

The news comes just one week after Deadline revealed that Rudolph was confirmed to return for season 50 of the late-night sketch comedy show and play the former California attorney general, whom she first portrayed in 2019 when Harris ran for the Democratic nomination for president.

In a 2020 interview with the actress, Harris asked her what the “process” was like to portray her on SNL, and while Rudolph called it “embarrassing,” she detailed her approach.

“In terms of Senator Harris, I didn’t have an impression because I wasn’t walking around the house doing my ‘Kamala.’ But I think it starts with trying to get someone’s voice if you can,” she said. “There’s nothing crazily overt about Sen. Harris, but I have to tell you, when I got to [SNL] and they put the wig on me, it was done.”

On Aug. 6, Harris and Walz made their first joint appearance as running mates in Philadelphia, and Harris called Walz a “leader who will help unite our nation and move us forward.”

Source: PEOPLE, Deadline