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?
21:04Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo, and be sure to subscribe and ring the
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