The ‘SNL’ actresses who have brought hilarity to Hillary

  • By Daniel Bubbeo Newsday
  • Friday, April 17, 2015 3:50pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

Hillary Rodham Clinton has thrown her hat into the 2016 presidential ring, and “Saturday Night Live” has picked it up. Kate McKinnon has already gotten everyone’s vote with her dead-on impersonation of the White House hopeful. (“Citizens, you will elect me! I will be your leader,” she bellowed in the April 11 episode.)

Of course, McKinnon isn’t the first of the many funny females of “SNL” to take a swipe or two at Clinton. Here are some others who brought hilarity to Hillary.

Amy Poehler

The “Parks and Recreation” star nailed Clinton’s look, speech and demeanor in her “SNL” sketches. Her shining moment came when Poehler was paired with Tina Fey as Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in the show’s sketches during the 2008 presidential campaign. In her 2014 memoir “Yes Please,” Poehler said she loved playing Clinton as a “highly focused and slightly angry woman who was tired of being the smartest person in the room.”

Jan Hooks

In the ’90s, Hooks’ portrayal of the then-first lady was tinged with more artificial sweetness than a packet of Splenda. Many of the Hooks skits played off the idea of keeping Clinton in her place lest she had any thoughts of taking control of the White House from her husband.

Ana Gasteyer

From the late ’90s to the early 2000s, Gasteyer played a smile-free version of Clinton who served as the voice of reason, in contrast to her immature husband played amusingly by Darrell Hammond. Gasteyer could always be found rolling her eyes whenever Hammond’s Bill Clinton did something utterly juvenile, which was often. (Hammond reprised that role in McKinnon’s Hillary sketch on April 11.)

Vanessa Bayer

Bayer’s Hillary had a perpetual smile that belied a barracuda. Case in point: Last season she and Sasheer Zamata (as Michelle Obama) starred in a funny sketch in which their Happy Mother’s Day message to America turned into a challenge routine over who was the more impactful first lady. Oh, mama!

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.