Top 20 Hilarious Kate McKinnon SNL Impressions
The resemblance is uncanny! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for Kate McKinnon’s funniest and most entertaining impersonations from her time on “SNL.”
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for Kate McKinnon's funniest
00:09and most entertaining impersonations from her time on SNL.
00:13I'm sorry I broke, it's too funny.
00:18Number 20, Joy Behar.
00:20In this hilarious parody of The View, Kate McKinnon plays one of the show's mainstay
00:24personalities.
00:25Okay, is it my turn?
00:26Uh, yeah.
00:27Uh, hot take alert, uh, I don't like Trump, Trump, Trump, what a chump, Trump, Trump,
00:33what a dump.
00:34Okay, look, it's my 2,000th show at this point, I get paid by the word.
00:37Her take on Joy Behar is just as funny and unfiltered as the real woman.
00:41The comedian also channels the presenter's outspoken liberal politics, setting up an
00:45entertaining clash between egos.
00:47Opposite Aidy Bryant's Meghan McCain, McKinnon does some amazing acting as the two characters
00:52argue.
00:53Say that.
00:54Well, can you let me finish?
00:55Well, can you let me talk?
00:56Well, can you let me finish?
00:57Because it's actually your job to listen to me.
01:01The chemistry that she has with her fellow cast members only makes every witty line and
01:05interaction better.
01:07For anyone who knows the real show, this entire sketch feels like a documentary with such
01:11accurate performances.
01:12Can you let me finish?
01:13Can you let me talk?
01:14Well, can you let me finish?
01:16Can I punch you in the face?
01:17Number 19, Betsy DeVos.
01:19For this Weekend Update segment, Donald Trump's Secretary of Education discusses her recent
01:2460 Minutes interview.
01:25So Betsy, what happened with that interview?
01:27Well, I think the problem is that the words that were coming out of my mouth were bad,
01:34and that is because they came from my brain.
01:37Kate McKinnon gives Betsy DeVos a vibe that's all smiles on the outside and terror on the
01:42inside.
01:43The actress perfectly balances this awkward mix.
01:46Her version of DeVos includes brutal honesty with a hilarious and inept vision of American
01:50schooling.
01:51The actor even references Home Alone in her funny and rambling speech.
01:55For example, if two Home Alone-style bandits want to rob a school, that school should have
02:02the option of red-hot doorknobs or a paint can that swings down a staircase.
02:08McKinnon really sells the political desperation of it all, showing that the problematic figure
02:13hates her job.
02:14It's such a lean and mean piece of political satire that feels timeless.
02:18Look, I may not be very good on camera, but behind the scenes, my ideas are much worse.
02:26Number 18, Frances McDormand.
02:28If you know this Oscar winner from her films or acceptance speeches, she projects a one-of-a-kind
02:33and no-nonsense attitude.
02:35Your dad was so proud of you.
02:37He knew that you were a predominantly accelerated child.
02:40What about me?
02:45You are rebellious, and I'm grateful of my love.
02:48Kay McKinnon plays the actress on Family Feud as she jokes about everything, including her
02:53choice of wardrobe.
02:54And for all you ladies out there, I have two words that are going to change our industry.
03:01Burlap dress.
03:04Stepping up to answer a question, the comedian brings a surprising amount of accuracy to
03:08the overall impersonation.
03:09She jokes about her contestants' honesty, intensity, and apparent skincare routine.
03:14Frances, first thing you do in the morning?
03:17Well, huh, you know, as a woman in the industry, I gotta, you know, doll myself up.
03:23So I do my skincare regimen, which is just straight-up Vaseline.
03:27McKinnon finds a way to match the acclaimed performer's voice and facial expressions.
03:31At a certain point, you want McDormand to take over just to watch this impression continue.
03:36And then I curl my hair using my own anger, because I've, you know, had it.
03:4317.
03:44Angela Merkel
03:45When this character appears on Weekend Update, Kay McKinnon gets to show off her accent work.
03:49So, Chancellor, what do you think about time choosing Donald Trump?
03:52Well, you know, it kind of undermines the honor for me.
03:57It's like winning the Nobel Prize for physics, and then the next year they give it to Huberstank.
04:02She also shows off a sillier version of the former German chancellor.
04:06Her impression of Angela Merkel jokes about politics and even introduces a unique form
04:10of screaming.
04:11I must let out a German scream.
04:19I'm sorry, that was a scream?
04:20Yes, that's right.
04:21In Germany we shout our problems into our stomachs.
04:24McKinnon's giddy impersonation even explores a possible crush on President Obama.
04:29From poking fun at Trump to talking about German history, these segments let McKinnon
04:33run wild.
04:34This remix of the world leader is an endless source of fun.
04:37She might not be this open and flirty in real life, but the performer certainly gives the
04:41politician a rom-com spin.
04:43Hurrah.
04:44Is it working?
04:45Am I making you jealous?
04:48Leave, Michelle.
04:5016.
04:51Laura Ingram
04:52Channeling the conservative host, Kate McKinnon delivers an underrated impression of Laura
04:56Ingram.
04:57And just to quickly respond to all of my fan mail, no, you're an a-hole.
05:03This character manages to be closer to the real person in startling ways.
05:07McKinnon plays the presenter with a clear bias, even going so far as to make up facts
05:11for entertainment.
05:12Some have claimed that suburban women revolted against the Republican Party, but doesn't
05:17it feel more true that all Hispanics voted twice?
05:21This hilarious take on the media personality even mentions sponsors that draw laughs.
05:26All the while, the role lets the actress make darker jokes about the state of political
05:30discourse.
05:31She even plays well opposite real politicians like Elizabeth Warren.
05:34With some clever writing, this take on Ingram teeters between funny and all too real.
05:39Consider supporting my ever-thinning list of sponsors, like deer tanks.
05:46Let's face it, shootin' deer takes too long.
05:49Send Bambi to hell with deer tanks.
05:5215.
05:53Lisa Kudrow
05:54During a sketch about auditions for Jurassic Park, Kate McKinnon comes along with a quick
05:58impression that's unforgettable.
06:00Well, there's a T-Rex, and must, must move faster, must move faster!
06:04She plays friend-star Lisa Kudrow in a hilarious impersonation.
06:08McKinnon actually nails the voice and cadence of Kudrow, playing her as she tries to escape
06:13a dinosaur.
06:14It's such detailed work that you could close your eyes and imagine the TV icon saying it
06:18herself.
06:19Hey, dinosaur attack, quick, everybody into the house, ahh!
06:23Her pronunciation is even funnier in the context of a big action movie, giving the dialogue
06:28an ironic quality.
06:30The SNL cast member also shows you that she can steal a sketch in a few seconds.
06:34Oh no, oh no, must move faster!
06:3814.
06:39Jane Lynch
06:40With her opening lines, Kate McKinnon shows why she is perfect to play Jane Lynch.
06:45I'm Jane Lynch, America's number two lesbian.
06:48This sketch finds the latter actress hosting Hollywood Game Night.
06:51Dealing with regular players and celebrities, McKinnon's Lynch doesn't suffer fools in increasingly
06:56funny ways.
06:57My husband Frank and I play hide-and-go-seek.
06:59Problem is, when I hide, he doesn't seek.
07:03One time, I found him in Barbados.
07:06Kathy Lee, your personality is as strong as my cologne.
07:13She gets to make fun of Glee and engage in banter with the contestants.
07:16The SNL cast member transforms into the TV star, giving this game show a great pace and
07:21some of its best lines.
07:23Kathy also gets to work with talented stars like Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig.
07:27As Lynch becomes angry with the unruly celebs, McKinnon shines as she critiques the entire
07:32concept of the show.
07:34Once again, the only winner is me.
07:36I won an Emmy for this.
07:38Goodnight!
07:3913.
07:40Lindsey Graham
07:41Kate McKinnon might not be your first thought when you think of Lindsey Graham, but she
07:44absolutely earns her part here.
07:46And I know I'm supposed to shut up, because I'm a single white male, 5'10", uncut.
07:54The cast member goes behind makeup and prosthetics for a convincing take on the senator.
07:57McKinnon turns the politician into an angry and hilarious force of nature.
08:01Do you know what this is, Judge Kavanaugh?
08:04Do you know what this is?
08:05Is this a real question?
08:06This is hell!
08:07That's what it is, is hell.
08:12She questions Matt Damon's Brett Kavanaugh, but also does some fantastic physical comedy.
08:17The whole performance looks as if she's become possessed by Graham.
08:21Even with Damon's fantastic work, the actress still steals the sketch as the questioning
08:25goes south.
08:27It shows that McKinnon can take any role and make it her own.
08:30You give him a damn robe and you let him do whatever the hell he wants.
08:34Because this right now, this is my audition for Mr. Trump's cabinet, and also for a regional
08:41production of The Crucible.
08:4312.
08:44Teresa Caputo
08:45With the incredible hair alone, Kate McKinnon plays a convincing version of the Long Island
08:49medium.
08:51Your father's showing me like a big pot of sauce.
08:54Okay, he wants you to know he's at peace, and he has the sauce.
08:58She captures the TV star's accent, personality, and questionable skills.
09:02Her take on Caputo also puts people in tears, bringing out some hilarious reactions from
09:07other cast members.
09:08Did your mother drown?
09:09Anything she drowned, I don't remember.
09:12McKinnon also makes the most of some funny references to Long Island.
09:15From helping random shoppers to talking with animals, the characters' powers are endlessly
09:19entertaining to watch.
09:20The performer works with a fantastic script that parodies the highs and lows of being
09:25a medium.
09:26On top of everything else, the comedian brings out the best in Daniel Craig's impression
09:29of Larry.
09:30Like I always say, I may be a medium, but at Chico's, I'm a large.
09:35You may not be laughing, but your grandparents were.
09:3811.
09:39Penelope Cruz
09:40On the surface, Kate McKinnon is almost nothing like Penelope Cruz.
09:45This does not stop her from doing a hilarious impression of the actress.
09:48You're a fan of me, Penelope?
09:50I'm a fan of you, Sofia.
09:51Hello!
09:52Trading accuracy for silliness, this impersonation is absolutely ridiculous.
09:57McKinnon leans in to Cruz's accent as she does a shampoo commercial.
10:01Next to Sofia Vergara, the comedian encounters a wind machine and many hard-to-pronounce
10:05words.
10:06So it's got everything our hair needs, like aloe.
10:09But without the things it doesn't need, like ammonium rhodium sulfate.
10:15The SNL performer makes it all look and sound effortlessly funny.
10:19While the words seem to get harder, McKinnon's vocalizations become even funnier.
10:23Pantene invigorates the superficial arteriosclerosis by rejuvenating the surgical pituitary.
10:32Her performance is so effective that you might never see a hair care ad the same way again.
10:37Hair!
10:38Pretty!
10:39For more information about our product, visit www.pantene.com.
10:45Yay!
10:4610.
10:47Jodie Foster
10:48I'm 50!
10:49I can stretch and kick and stretch and I'm 50!
10:54It is an understatement to say that McKinnon nails her impression of this award-winning
10:58actress, director and producer.
11:01Best known for her appearances in films like The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs,
11:05Foster is easily recognizable by her unique voice and mannerisms.
11:08Dr. Lecter, my name is Clarice Starling, may I speak with you?
11:12It's no surprise then that Foster gives McKinnon a lot of material to work with for her spot-on
11:16impression.
11:17Okay, Pierce, look, here's the deal, sir, I am not Honey Boo Boo.
11:22Whether she's appearing on Pierce Morgan Tonight or as one of the sexiest Bond girls
11:25ever, McKinnon's hilarious version of Foster is a delight to behold.
11:29Mr. Bond, sir, I want to thank you very much for that speedboat ride, sir.
11:34I felt so young and girlish with the wind blowing through my hair.
11:389.
11:39Elizabeth Warren
11:40When a government works great for those at the top and for no one else, that is corruption
11:48pure and simple and we have to call it out.
11:52This American politician from the Democratic Party is the senior United States senator
11:56from Massachusetts.
11:57She is best known for her fierce stance on corruption, her plan to eliminate student
12:01loan debt and completing her fundraising without any corporate contributions.
12:06These also happen to be the things that McKinnon picks on in her bespectacled performance,
12:11most commonly on SNL's Weekend Update segment with Colin Jost.
12:14I will never stop rooting out corruption, which brings me to my first point, anchor
12:19Jost.
12:20We'll begin with a simple yes or no question.
12:23It says here that you and Michael Che are credited as full cast members on this show.
12:28Is that correct?
12:298.
12:30Kellyanne Conway
12:31A presidential campaign manager turned counselor to the president, Conway seems like a pretty
12:36legit success story on paper.
12:38However, since her appointment, she's been charged with ethics violations and is infamously
12:42known for her use of the phrase alternative facts as well as her reference to a Bowling
12:47Green massacre that didn't happen.
13:04Conway therefore gave SNL a lot of fodder, and McKinnon does not pull any punches in
13:09her delivery.
13:24Although she's made a lot of appearances as the White House advisor, our favorites
13:27are her seduction of journalist Jake Tapper, her Broadway-style number on her reasons for
13:31joining with Trump, and her parody of Pennywise the Killer Clown.
13:467.
13:48Kristen Stewart
13:59Since the highest-paid actress in the world, this star of the Twilight saga has blossomed
14:04from something of a caricature into a respected actress.
14:08Don't get us wrong, we love her for her more mature roles, like for her work in 2014's
14:13French film Clouds of Sils Maria.
14:14However, we still like to think of her as the withdrawn, lip-biting, nervous girl she
14:19introduced us to in 2008's Twilight.
14:21And this is the version McKinnon channels for her incredible impression.
14:33Although she's also appeared on SNL as a host, we're glad that the SNL writers did not hold
14:37back from teasing her.
14:516.
14:53Jeff Sessions
15:06You know him as the United States Senator from Alabama, who resigned to serve as the
15:1084th United States Attorney General.
15:12We still prefer to think of him as a Forrest Gump-type character, sitting on a bench in
15:16a park, eating chocolates, and talking to passers-by.
15:29After then-President Trump and Sessions got into a disagreement that ended with the Attorney
15:33General's resignation, SNL orchestrated an imaginative portrayal of his move-out.
15:45And when Sessions decided to run for Senate again in 2019, it wasn't surprising that McKinnon
15:50skewered the politician on an appearance on Weekend Update.
16:055.
16:06Rudy Giuliani
16:16Although this American politician has previously been the Mayor of New York and the United
16:20States Associate Attorney General, he's most known in the 21st century for acting as an
16:25attorney to President Trump.
16:26Despite his constant appearance in the news, especially for allegations of helping Trump
16:30to abuse his power, we prefer his appearances on SNL.
16:46What we mean, of course, is the shriveled-looking, raspy-sounding interpretation that only McKinnon
16:51could pull off.
16:52Whether she's filming a commercial for her shady services or playing off Alec Baldwin's
16:56Donald Trump, McKinnon as Giuliani is always a good time.
17:084.
17:09Ruth Bader Ginsburg
17:10There's no denying that this strong-willed lady was a fighter.
17:25She became famous for her perseverance, her dissenting views, and for refusing to step
17:30down as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
17:33Although Felicity Jones did a great, serious portrayal of the legal crusader in 2018's
17:38On the Basis of Sex, we can't think of a better comedic one than Kate McKinnon's representation
17:42on Saturday Night Live.
17:52We don't know what we would have done without RBG's regular appearances on Weekend Update
17:56with Colin Jost.
17:58Okay, yes, her appearance in The Lego Movie 2 was pretty amazing too.
18:083.
18:09Justin Bieber
18:10Discovered at the age of 13 and listed by Forbes Magazine as one of the top 10 most
18:15powerful celebrities in the world several times, love him or hate him, he was once a
18:19big deal.
18:20Whether you think of the superstar as 2010's Cute Bieber, 2014's Bad Boy Bieber, or 2018's
18:26What the Heck Bieber, we would take McKinnon's version over those ones any day of the week.
18:37Saturday Night Live's Calvin Klein ad alone is a classic, although Jingle Ballers and
18:42any of the celebrity family feuds are always a treat to watch too.
18:542.
18:56Hillary Clinton
18:57Originally coming to the spotlight as the First Lady of the United States, Clinton has
19:01since made a name for herself as a Senator and later as the Secretary of State.
19:05Of course, she is best known for her second run for President in 2016, which luckily for
19:10us was at the same time that McKinnon was available to spoof her on SNL.
19:20Although her cold opens are some of McKinnon's best work as the American politician and diplomat,
19:24we can't forget her presidential debates with Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump.
19:27We also give a nod to Clinton as a Christmas caroler in a particularly hilarious sketch.
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19:531.
19:55Ellen DeGeneres
19:59You first loved her on Ellen from 1994 to 1998, but she later gained fame as the host
20:04of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
20:06She's written several books, hosted multiple award shows, won 30 Emmys, and won more People's
20:12Choice Awards than any other celebrity.
20:15Despite all of her accomplishments, we are so grateful that McKinnon does not go easy
20:19on the Louisiana comedian.
20:32While you can catch McKinnon's impression in many of the sketches, we love watching
20:36her in all her glory while imitating DeGeneres as she hosts her talk show.
20:51Did we forget another amazing SNL impression from Kate?
20:54Let us know in the comments below!
21:03Do you agree with our picks?
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