Steve Martin quickly became an internet favorite to play him when Saturday Night Live returns in September.
However, Martin made clear in an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday that he doesn’t want to play the politician.
He told the publication that longtime SNL producer Lorne Michaels contacted him on Wednesday morning with an offer to play Walz, but he declined.
“I wanted to say no and, by the way, he wanted me to say no,” Martin said.
There was one notable reason why. “I said, ‘Lorne, I’m not an impressionist. You need someone who can really nail the guy.’ I was picked because I have gray hair and glasses.”
Martin is currently starring on the hit Hulu series Only Murders in the Building alongside Martin Short and Selena Gomez.
He and Short are also touring their live comedy show, The Dukes of Funnytown!, this fall, which could have interfered with SNL‘s production schedule
In fact, as the LA Times noted, Deadline reported earlier this month that Maya Rudolph pushed back filming of her Apple TV+ series Loot to reprise her role as Harris on SNL.
“It’s ongoing,” Martin told the LA Times of playing a political figure on the sketch comedy show. Martin is known for frequently hosting or popping up on the show dating back to the ’70s.
“It’s not like you do it once and get applause and never do it again,” he continued. “Again, they need a real impressionist to do that. They’re gonna find somebody really, really good. I’d be struggling.”
Martin taking himself out of the running could be good news for Parks and Rec star Jim O’Heir, Jim Gaffigan, John Goodman, or any of the other comedians people also suggested online to play Walz. Only time will tell.
