Saturday Night Livehas been on television since the 1970s, having now aired more than 900 episodes to make it one of the longest-running network programs in the U.S. Many cast members have found national stardom while appearing on the show. Typically, they might then achieve success in film and TV, both in front of and behind the camera, beyond Lorne Michaels' award-winning comedy and variety show. One such success story isJason Sudeikis, who viewers these days might know best asApple TV+’s beloved character Ted Lasso.
Sudeikis began his career in improv comedy and performed with iconic troupes such as The Second City. By 2003, he was hired as a writer forSNLand starred as a cast member from 2005 to 2013. In 2020, he co-created and began starring as the lead inTed Lasso, which deservedly earned him Primetime Emmy andGolden Globe Awards. The character actually traces back toNBC Sports, which might surprise some who might think Lasso originated atSNL’s Studio 8H in 30 Rock.
Speaking ofSNL—while the show’s live aspect has resulted in several controversies and acts of censorship, at the end of the day it has spawned countless iconic on-screen personas. The versatile Sudeikis has been fortunate enough to step into the shoes of them. As we count down the days toseason 3 ofTed Lasso, here’s a closer look at Sudeikis' bestSNLcharacters to date.
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5Sports Reporter
Though the reporters would often find themselves comically off-topic in these skits, it’s clear here that Sudeikis had a clear knack for sports-related comedy before taking on his hilarious character onTed Lasso. One highlight comes from Twinkle and Stink’s segment about curling, when Twinkle asks Stink how many points he thinks a player just received after her successful turn. Stink replies “five,” simply because he looked down at his hand and noticed he had five fingers…
4Male A-hole
The memorable “Two A-Holes” skits consisted of Kristen Wiig and Sudeikis' characters finding themselves in a variety of everyday situations, such as buying a Christmas tree, going to the gym or even witnessing a crime. The “Two A-holes” are led by Sudeikis' gum-chewing, “babe”-mumbling, popped-collar persona. It’s one Sudeikis' oldest and best recurringSNLcharacters, with his laugh-out-loud showcasing of complete and utter lack of compassion during the various conversations. Even though “Two A-Holes” debuted on what was only their first season with the show, Sudeikis and Wiig played off each other so well that they were both upgraded from featured to repertory players in the following season.
One “Two A-holes” highlight comes at the end of their gym sketch with host John C. Reilly, who plays their trainer. After driving the trainer nuts and causing him to question his sanity, the trainer storms off, leaving Sudeikis and Wiig just standing there smacking gum. They haven’t exercised in the slightest, but Sudeikis concludes the sketch with, “Good workout, babe.”
3The Devil
When it comes to the “Weekend Update” portion of SNL, it’s hard to trumpBill Hader’s Stefon. But a close second is Sudeikis' “The Devil,” who would occasionally appear when a major public scandal was popular in the media at the time. Some examples: the Penn State Sandusky scandal and Osama Bin Laden, both of which Sudeikis would comment on with jovial good humor.
Ironically depicted as a cool, down-to-earth guy full of snarky comments, Sudeikis' Devil was also playfully upbeat and wildly entertaining to watch with every appearance. His cartoonish costume is priceless as well. The lovable, demonic persona resurfaced just recently when Sudeikis hosted, alongside current “Weekend Update” co-host Colin Jost to fill us in on what the Devil has been up to. “Instagram for kids” was just one hysterical example.
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2Mitt Romney
Remember when Sen.Mitt Romney dressed up as Ted Lassothis past Halloween? Perhaps it’s a nod to an earlier era, when the roles were somewhat reversed. Back when Romney was running against former President Barack Obama, Sudeikis tookSNLby storm by his impeccable impersonation of the White House hopeful.
From the nasal mockery of the politician’s voice to the bit that Romney was weirdly obsessed with drinking milk, Sudeikis captivated audiences. It’s a less well-known impersonation than his Biden (see below), but Sudeikis' Romney opposite Jay Pharaohs' Barack Obama throughout the 2012 election sketches were central to the show’s place in the culture during that fall. Unlike the 2008 election, the Obama-Romney showdown was pretty tame. Sudeikis, however, still managed to work out Romney’s flaws in a non-offensive way—even when he was getting drunk off of lactose.
1Joe Biden
The impression that takes the cake, however, is that of our current president. Some people might think the Romney look is more on point, but Sudeikis' Joe Biden gives him a bit of an edge. Always playing Biden as a bit of a buffoon, Sudeikis committed, and it paid off. He started portraying Biden roughly 15 years ago, which would be the first of more than two dozen sketches where Sudeikis would play the senator-turned-Veep. James Austin Johnson is doing solid work as the current impersonator, butSNLcertainly hasn’t kicked Sudeikis' efforts to the curb. After all, there’s a killerreunion of the two versions of Bidenwhen theTed Lassostar recently returned as host. Sudeikis' Biden can be described as goofy, light-hearted, yet full of outlandish outbursts.
