Dana Carvey is sharing insights into the two-year process he undertook to perfect his Saturday Night Live portrayal of former U.S. President Joe Biden, especially as Biden began to exhibit signs of cognitive decline during his presidential campaign.
During a visit to Carvey and David Spade’s Fly on the Wall podcast, Modern Family actress Julie Bowen inquired about the potential impact of Biden’s mental health on Carvey’s impersonation.
Carvey acknowledged, “I recognized that there were mental challenges present.” He continued, “It was quite apparent to me, but navigating that in comedy was a sensitive matter. Many individuals were cautious about approaching any material that could be perceived as unkind.”
Bowen then pointed out, “But it’s comedy!”
“That’s it. That’s the key,” Carvey replied. “If I can do Biden, if I can make Biden funny to everybody, then, then I am where I want to be. And then to make it funny, it had to be recognizable. And so there’s certain things I did not include in my package.”
He then did an impersonation of Biden firing off a string of incoherent sentences. “Ladies and gentlemen, the leader of the free world,” he joked.
Spade also pointed out, “I think it’s easier to make fun of him if he’s the president. If it’s just a 90-whatever-year-old man, just go look at this asshole. So once he’s president then he’s more fair game to say, but no one made fun of him forever.”
Carvey said it took him two years to perfect the impersonation.
“The first six months it was just sweet Joe … it was just that it doesn’t have the proper energy of Trump, or even Obama, or [George W. Bush],” Carvey said. But his impersonation of Biden eventually became his “favorite.”
Carvey’s notable performance as Biden was submitted for Emmy consideration for the category of Outstanding Guest Actor/Actress in a Comedy Series.
Even Biden’s staff were fans of his impersonation. The comedian revealed that he met some of Biden’s staff at a party, where they invited him to visit the White House but “it never happened.”
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