The Real Reason Steve Martin Won't Play Tim Walz On Saturday Night Live

"Saturday Night Live" is, oddly enough, usually a pretty key part of any American election cycle. Name a president and it's easy to picture the person who played them on the long-running NBC sketch show. Say George W. Bush and it's probably just as easy to envision Will Ferrell's take on the former president as it is the man himself. As such, all eyes are now on who will be cast to play Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on "SNL" for its forthcoming 50th season, as he was recently selected to be the running mate for Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee to become our next POTUS. For now, though, at least one favorite for the role has taken his hat out of the ring.

Legendary comedian Steve Martin, who has a long history with "SNL," has politely declined an offer from Lorne Michaels to portray Walz on the show. The show needs someone to join Maya Rudolph, who will be returning as Harris for the upcoming season. Why did Martin decline, exactly? Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, Martin laid out his reasoning, which was pretty sound. Here's what he had to say about it:

"I wanted to say no and, by the way, he wanted me to say no. 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."

Many online have pointed out that Martin does, indeed, look a lot like Walz. The actor and comedian even took to Threads joking, "I just learned that Tim Walz wants to go on the road with Marty Short." Martin regularly tours with his friend and fellow comedian Martin Short, in addition to starring alongside him on Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building."

Speaking a little further on the topic, Martin explained that part of his hesitation was the ongoing nature of signing up for something like this:

"It's ongoing. It's not like you do it once and get applause and never do it again. Again, they need a real impressionist to do that. They're gonna find somebody really, really good. I'd be struggling."

Martin's reasoning all around makes a fair bit of sense. While Martin is arguably one of the funniest men to ever walk the Earth, it's never been about transformation. Martin is always some hilarious version of himself, more or less. He's not trying to be a chameleon. In fairness, a good impression doesn't always have to go that route. I personally think of Larry David as Bernie Sanders on "SNL" as a prime example. Beyond that, Martin has flirted with retirement in recent years, even if it wouldn't be full retirement, per se. At nearly 79 years old, Martin is thinking about his commitments a little differently. Understandably so.

So, the question becomes: Who will play Walz now that Martin is out of the running? That's a question that Michaels and the producers will have to find the answer to sooner rather than later. As /Film's Ethan Anderton laid out recently, there are plenty of actors who could pull off playing Walz on "SNL." Someone is getting the call, that's for sure. It's just a matter of who Michaels decides to ring up and who is willing to say yes.

"Saturday Night Live" season 50 premieres September 28, 2024, on NBC.