Lorne Michaels Knew Who He Wanted To Play President Biden

Comedian and “Saturday Night Live” alum DanaCarvey has brought several iconic characters to the legendary show’s roster since joining the cast in the late 1980s.

He brought beloved basement dweller, Garth, from “Wayne’s World,” to life, as well as a ‘special’ church lady. However, the 69-year-old has been making headlines over the last week for portraying a central figure: President Joe Biden.

Carvey captivated “Saturday Night Live” audiences in last weekend’s cold open, alongside Maya Rudolph‘s portrayal of Vice President and current Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris.

After Ruldolph’s Harris spoke to fans during a ‘speech,’ she reluctantly led Carvey’s Biden out on stage. The former ‘SNL’ cast member delivered Biden’s mannerisms while displaying his signature inflection while sporting the President’s look.

Fans quickly caught on to Carvey’s Biden, flooding social media with responses and commentary. Andy Samberg and Jim Gaffiganjoined the “Wayne’s World” actor on stage, with Samberg playing First Gentleman Doug Emhhoff, and Gaffigan bringing Harris’ running mate Governor Tim Walz into the fold.

Last weekend saw the first episode of SNL’s 50th season; the show launched in October 1975.

The man behind the “Saturday Night Life” magic is still at the helm after five decades and still knows exactly who he wants to bring certain famous figures to the stage.

“The Secret Life of Pets” actor talked about all things Lorne Michaels on his podcast this week, and discussed how his vision of President Biden for the upcoming season of “Saturday Night Live” included Carvey!

President Biden has had a busy year. He stepped down from running as the democratic candidate in the United States Presidential election against former President Donald Trump, earlier this summer.

Michaels had been planning his vision for the actor who would portray the President on “Saturday Night Live” for a while; his plans for the right actor to bring the President to the small screen had been in motion since Biden’s decision to pass the torch on to Vice President Harris.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Mr. Michaels had Carvey in mind to play the President for a limited run.

“Lorne Michaels, our superstar boss, asked me in early June,” the actor explained on his podcast. “Would you consider coming out and doing Biden, you know, six shows, and then you can tell us to f-ck off?”

Carvey, a full-time “Saturday Night Live” cast member from 1986 until 1991, had to mull the offer over. He added, “I thought, ‘Well, that’s nice and tidy,’ And then there was that- let’s just say eccentric debate with Trump, and then that other thing happened with Biden,” he recalled, alluding to the President’s decision to relinquish his position in the race.

Mr. Michaels shared his vision with Carvey. “He’s still like, ‘You’ll come out, maybe you’ll appear as a ghost,” the “Hotel Transylvania 2” actor dished on his boss’ theory.

Carvey also joked that the “Mean Girls” producer was like “a dog with a bone” wanting to make Carvey’s appearances happen!

The newest SNL portrayal of the President was a huge hit with viewers!

Fans took to the actor’s comment section for a behind-the-scenes Instagram snapshot into his make-up process to express their happiness at Carvey’s manner of bringing President Biden to the small screen.

Judd Apatow was among the virtual peanut gallery. The “Freaks and Geeks” creator commented, “Nobody funnier than you,” along with a heart emoji.

“Just watched SNL last night. My family and I screamed, ‘Dana Carvey!’ When you appeared. You are excellent as Biden. I remember watching SNL as a child when you played George Busch #41 and Ross Perot. Brought back a lot of great SNL memories,” a fan reminisced.

“I seriously got teary-eyed seeing you last night. So much nostalgia there. You’re an SNL GOAT,” another wrote.

Carvey then thanked his fans for their appreciation!

While the actor has brought hilarity to his fans’ lives, the “Wayne’s World 2” actor has experienced quite a bit of sadness in his personal life in recent years.

Carvey lost his son last year to “drug toxicity.” Dax Carvey was found with a number of drugs in his system, as The Blast previously reported, including Ketamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.

The official autopsy report was released two months after the 32-year-old’s passing. Dex’s parents poured their hearts into an Instagram post to honor his legacy, writing at the time of his death, “Last night we suffered a terrible tragedy. Our beloved son, Dex, died of an accidental drug overdose. He was 32 years old. Dex packed a lot into those 32 years. He was extremely talented at so many things — music, art, filmmaking, comedy — and pursued all of them passionately.”

Mr. and Mrs. Carvey went on to praise their son’s affinity for loving life, and his ability to “make everything fun.” They also noted Dex’s infectious ability to translate his loving personality to all who knew him.