<em>Saturday Night Live</em> star James Austin Johnson reveals the impression that Lorne Michaels will not let him do on the show. Johnson first joined the popular sketch comedy series back in 2021, as a featured player in season 47. Two years later, he was promoted to be a full-time repertory player, and now appears on the series frequently.

Among his comedy work on the series, Johnson is best known for his impression of President Donald Trump. He is one of several actors to have portrayed the political figure both on and off SNL, with another notable lampoon coming from Alec Baldwin. Johnson has also, interestingly enough, done an impression of Joe Biden on the series.

In a panel discussion (per Entertainment Weekly), Johnson has revealed that his best impression has not made it onto the show. According to the comedian, he does a great impression of the music journalist David Fricke, who was the “longtime Rolling Stone editor.” While it is his “best voice,” the SNL team finds the figure too obscure to air.

This has not stopped Johnson from showing fellow cast members the impression. Another panelist nicely added “we laugh,” but Johnson clarified that this was merely kind placation, comparing it to him “doing his little cartwheel for” the team. Check out Johnson’s full quote below:

I get that a lot at the table. I get that a lot. ‘Why are we doing this, honey?’ Because I do the voice. ‘Yeah, nobody gives a s—.’

I’ve done it so many times. It’s always a resounding no from everyone in the room.

You laugh, you laugh because it’s like, ‘Oh, look at James, he’s doing his little cartwheel for us.’ It’s my best voice. It’s my best impression. I nailed that guy. It’s just, you know, that people don’t want to see it.

Johnson’s David Fricke impression is not the only imitation that has been struck down over the years. Earlier, longtime cast member Fred Armisen revealed that he has wanted to do an impression of the This American Life host Ira Glass. In a similar vein to Johnson, Armisen was told that Glass simply wasn’t famous enough.

Fricke is prolific in his field and a known entity for those who are aware of music journalism. He has been working in the industry for over 40 years, serving as Rolling Stone‘s music editor in the ’90s.

Despite his impressive career, however, Fricke is not a common household name to the average Saturday Night Live viewer. His hyper-specific career would also make it difficult to incorporate the celebrity into a sketch. While disappointing for Johnson, this justifies why the Fricke impression has never made it on air.

Both Johnson and Armisen’s experiences raise the question of what truly makes a great Saturday Night Live impression. Clearly, it is not enough to be spot-on with your delivery, as the comedians undoubtedly are. Rather, the person one’s impression stems from has to be instantly recognizable, helping audiences connect with the masterful comedy work.

Here you can find the original article; the photos and images used in our article also come from this source. We are not their authors; they have been used solely for informational purposes with proper attribution to their original source.[/nospin]

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