Discover the hilarious moments that unfolded when these stars encountered their impersonators on stage…

Miley Cyrus was merely a teenager when Vanessa Bayer began portraying her in a recurring skit known as The Miley Cyrus Show. Not only did Miley enjoy the sketch, but she also eagerly participated in SNL by joining Vanessa while she was in character. In one memorable episode, Miley appeared on The Miley Cyrus Show dressed as Justin Bieber — and in another episode, she showcased her iconic teddy bear bodysuit while portraying herself. These spontaneous moments of fun exemplify the lighthearted spirit of SNL and how celebrities can embrace humor in unexpected ways.

Jennifer Aniston has been the subject of impersonation over the years on SNL, most notably by Vanessa Bayer, who frequently portrayed Jennifer’s character Rachel from Friends. While Jennifer has expressed her amusement at the impersonation, during her appearance on Weekend Update alongside Vanessa, she humorously poked fun at Vanessa’s impersonation. The pair even shared a plate of nachos while playfully bickering over how to accurately replicate Jennifer’s voice, showcasing their camaraderie and the amusing dynamics that arise from such impersonations.

Nicolas Cage was humorously impersonated by Andy Samberg in a recurring bit on Weekend Update titled “Get in the Cage.” In this hilarious sketch, Andy portrayed a highly exaggerated version of Nic, interviewing various real celebrities about their projects in an over-the-top fashion. After the skit gained immense popularity, Andy and Seth Meyers managed to persuade the real Nic to appear on the show, which led to an unforgettable moment.

“It was not even remotely like Nic Cage. It was just a lunatic person who we called Nic Cage. To his great credit, he acknowledged that and thought that was funny and came on SNL and we did it as twin Nic Cages,” Andy recalled at a Writers Guild Foundation event.

He further explained, “We had to enter his dressing room with the script. There was no indication that he had seen it. We definitely had sent it. He definitely had not looked at it. But we had included in the scripts him explaining that this was not a good impression of him. We were admitting that to him and also allowing him to say on air that it was unfair…He was very quiet but ready to act…Then it finished and he was like, ‘OK.’ We walked out and skipped down the hallway, we were so excited.”

In one of the most popular recurring bits on SNL, Mick Jagger hilariously confronted his impersonator, Jimmy Fallon, in a mirror. The two engaged in a comedic back-and-forth about Mick’s plans for hosting the show — though Jimmy revealed that producer Lorne Michaels actually preferred they not perform the reflection in the mirror bit.

“Lorne was like, ‘Please don’t do the reflection in the mirror bit.’ And I go, ‘Why?’ He’s like, ‘It’s just been done.’ He mentioned, ‘Lucille Ball did it. The Marx Brothers. Just don’t do it.’ I’m like, ‘Okay.’” Jimmy shared on The Tonight Show.

He continued, “So I’m going through the list. I probably have 10 ideas. And the last one — [Mick] doesn’t like anything. And then the last one I go, ‘Maybe it’s like you’re back and you’re in the dressing room. You’re like, ‘Why am I doing this show? I’ve done it in the ’70s and done it in the ’80s. What am I doing different now?’ And I’m your reflection.’ He goes, ‘I like that.’”

Rami Malek took on SNL hosting duties in 2021, and in one memorable skit, he ended up swapping roles with cast member Pete Davidson. In a segment titled Celebrity School Game Show, Pete impersonated Rami, while Rami humorously took on Pete’s character. The duo exchanged playful insults throughout the skit, with Pete accusing Rami of scrutinizing him the entire time! This comedic exchange showcased their chemistry and the fun that can arise from such playful impersonations.

During the recent SNL50 celebration, former cast members Tracy Morgan and Eddie Murphy made a triumphant appearance. In honor of this significant milestone, the show revived the iconic Black Jeopardy skit, where Tracy played a contestant while Eddie humorously impersonated Tracy himself. Their comedic banter included jokes about potentially being related. The hilarious skit also featured guest appearances from Tom Hanks and Chris Rock, adding to the excitement of the reunion.

In 2013, Dave Matthews made a guest appearance in a skit titled The Mellow Show, which was hosted by Jack Johnson, who was impersonated by Andy Samberg. Bill Hader joined the skit as Dave, and then Dave himself joined in on the fun. Instead of playing himself, however, Dave humorously took on the role of Ozzy Osbourne, showcasing his ability to embrace the comedic elements of SNL and entertain audiences with his unexpected portrayal.

In 2012, cast member Abby Elliott hosted a recurring skit called Bein’ Quirky, where she impersonated Zooey Deschanel. When Zooey hosted SNL that year, she made a surprise appearance on the sketch. Instead of portraying herself, Zooey humorously took on the role of Mary-Kate Olsen, adding an unexpected twist to the skit and demonstrating the playful nature of celebrity impersonations.

Back in 1999, Jerry Seinfeld hosted SNL and appeared on Weekend Update alongside his impersonator, cast member Jimmy Fallon. Not only did they come face-to-face, but the pair also engaged in a humorous debate about The Gap. They managed to find common ground in their shared distaste for vests, showcasing the lighthearted banter that makes SNL so entertaining.

For years, Will Ferrell portrayed Alex Trebek on SNL’s parody of Jeopardy. In 2002, Alex himself made a special appearance on a Rock ’N Roll Jeopardy skit. It happened to be Will’s last episode as an SNL cast member, serving as the perfect send-off. Before his passing, Alex shared how much he appreciated the skits and the joy they brought to fans.

“I was on his last regular show, and I did a little cameo appearance, and yeah, I told him how much I enjoyed his work as me on the program, and he was quite taken that I had noticed,” Alex told The Hollywood Reporter in 2012. “Every [Jeopardy] taping, someone in the audience says, ‘How do you feel about the Will Ferrell impression of you on SNL?’ And I say the same thing every time: I love it. I wish he was back on the show so he could do more.”

While Alec Baldwin may not have been a full SNL cast member, he has hosted the show over 15 times. On several of those occasions, he humorously impersonated Tony Bennett, and in 2006, Tony himself joined in on the fun. During the sketch, Alec hosted The Tony Bennett Show while impersonating Tony, and the real Tony appeared as a tribute artist named “Phony Bennett.” This delightful encounter created a memorable moment that fans still cherish.

“One of the greatest moments of my life was when Tony came on and played a Tony Bennett impersonator. We had a lot of fun,” Alec shared on Late Show with David Letterman.