Kate McKinnon joined the cast of Saturday Night Live at a transitional moment in the show’s storied history. With five episodes left in season 37 in 2012, she was brought in just as Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg were on their way out. Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, and Jason Sudeikis followed the next season, and it was McKinnon who helped shepherd in the next era of SNL alongside Vanessa Bayer, joined shortly after by Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, and eventually the new “Weekend Update” team. By the time the 2016 election season rolled around, and frequent McKinnon collaborators Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider (of The Other Two fame) were elevated to head writers, it had effectively become her show.
McKinnon dominated the scene, debuting a mix of quirky original characters and iconic impressions. She had a unique ability to make everything work — even the sketches that probably shouldn’t have — and became known for her unparalleled commitment to the bit. It also helped that she seemed to be able to find some compassion in every character, even the most morally reprehensible ones. An anachronistic individual who seemingly dropped in from the ’60s (or was maybe teleported by aliens from the future), McKinnon helped keep SNL weird even as the show was revitalized in the mainstream eye during the Trump versus Hillary campaign era.
It wasn’t just viewers who recognized that the long-running sketch show had a new star. The Emmys noticed, too, and McKinnon nabbed a Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy nomination every single year that she was on the show, starting in 2014. She even won two years in a row, a rarity for a sketch-show performance that is in competition with scripted comedies. At the same time, she began to star in big-budget movie comedies, including Ghostbusters, Rough Night, and The Spy Who Dumped Me, and seemed poised for a future beyond SNL akin to Adam Sandler or Bill Murray. But instead of leaving the show, she stayed on through the bumpy COVID era and only departed at the end of season 47 (along with Bryant, Pete Davidson, and Kyle Mooney), when the show’s “grueling schedule” finally started to catch up to her, she revealed in an interview following her departure on Vulture’s Good One podcast.
When McKinnon slipped off into the night — or, early morning — after her last episode in 2022, she largely took a step back from the limelight to rest, save for a few voice roles. She eventually re-emerged from her house somewhere “in the woods” this summer for Barbie and is now slated to host SNL for the very first time this weekend, alongside musical guest Billie Eilish. In honor of her return to Studio 8H, we’ve rounded up the best moments from McKinnon’s ten-year-run.
“Sofia Vergara and Penélope Cruz Sell Pantene Shampoo” (2012)
Unlike for most new cast members, McKinnon’s first-ever episode saw her starring sketch make it to air. In it, she plays Penélope Cruz opposite Sofia Vergara as they film a Pantene shampoo commercial. While Vergara has a fairly easy go of things with lines like “lush” and “magic,” McKinnon’s Cruz keeps getting stuck with unpronounceable scientific terminology. It’s an infectious, A Star Is Born moment, only aided by Bobby Moynihan’s uncontrollable off-screen laughter.
“Ann Romney on Her Husband’s Critics” (2012)
McKinnon’s first, often-forgotten political impression was short-lived only because of its subject’s relative fade from the spotlight. As Ann Romney, she plays a devoted, Beyoncé-loving spouse defending her harsh words against Romney’s critics ahead of the 2012 election: “Stop it, this is hard.” McKinnon easily plays off Seth Meyers at the “Weekend Update” desk, defining the loving, flirty approach that she would take for all of her interactions with “Update” anchors, from Meyers to Colin Jost and Michael Che.
“Olya Povlatsky” (various)
Originally started as a one-off in response to a meteor that exploded over Russia, Olya Povlatsky became one of McKinnon’s most regular “Weekend Update” characters. The premise of each appearance is simple: Olya responds to Russian news as someone who really doesn’t want to live there. The theme is funny and the accent is killer, but the character’s greatest strength seemed to be her increasing, unfortunate relevance in day-to-day life in the United States, especially amid evidence of Russian election interference and Trump’s fawning over Vladimir Putin.
“Long Island Medium” (2013)
Starting out at the tail-end of an election season and the beginning of Barack Obama’s relatively even-keeled second term gave McKinnon a chance to tackle some unconventional impressions that might not otherwise get airtime. “Long Island Medium” Theresa Caputo, semi-known for her TLC reality series, let McKinnon prove her accent prowess (and show off her Long Island roots in the process). While many of McKinnon’s most iconic impersonations went on to be mainstream superstars and globally recognized politicians, “Long Island Medium” highlighted her knack for the occasional niche caricature.
“(Do It on My) Twin Bed” (2013)
The girl-group songs were some of the best sketches to come out of the Kate McKinnon/Cecily Strong/Vanessa Bayer/“Lil’ Baby Aidy” (Bryant) era of SNL and helped bridge the gap left by Andy Samberg’s Lonely Island. The music videos kicked off during the 2013 Christmas episode with “(Do It on My) Twin Bed,” a poppy ode to getting nasty in your childhood bedroom during the holidays. Written by McKinnon and Bryant, alongside Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, the song even snagged an Emmy nomination. The collaboration sparked several more music videos, including “Back Home Ballers,” “First Got Horny 2 U,” and “Wishin’ Boot.”
“Dyke & Fats” (2014)
McKinnon and Bryant’s non-news-related sketches were some of the most enjoyable parts of their time on SNL. The sketches were often bizarre and random in a way that only emerges in true friendships, clearly the result of late-night riffing that managed to make it to air. “Dyke & Fats,” a ’70s buddy cop show spoof about a lesbian and a plus-size police officer, is perhaps the best example of this (and a great lesson on who gets to say what). As McKinnon told Vulture shortly after the sketch aired: “We were both really tired one night, and I just said to Aidy, ‘Man, dyke is tired,’ and Aidy said, ‘Fats is tired, too.’ And then it became our beautiful thing that we had together and we wanted to make something out of it.” And they did. Two somethings, in fact (Dyke and Fats later saved Christmas).
“Ellen DeGeneres” (various)
McKinnon has always been a self-proclaimed superfan of Ellen DeGeneres (and even delivered DeGeneres her Lifetime Achievement Golden Globe, along with a touching speech, in early 2020), so it was no surprise when she began spoofing the comedian turned talk-show host early in her SNL tenure. The sketches, which aired prior to the toxic workplace allegations that plagued the final few seasons of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, lovingly barb DeGeneres’s frustration with always having to dance and tap into an interesting reluctance to tackle serious subjects. “There’s been a lot in the news this week about Vladimir Putin getting authorization to invade the Ukraine,” says McKinnon’s DeGeneres in her first appearance, “so I’m going to talk about my recent trip to a dog park.”
“Angela Merkel” (various)
Former German chancellor Angela Merkel is famously stoic, so it was a joy that McKinnon brought some levity to the world leader when she debuted the impression at the “Weekend Update” desk in 2013. McKinnon’s Merkel is exasperated by having to play peacekeeper between so many nations, a bit lonely, and a big fan of Obama. It’s a wacky, sympathetic, and intimate look at Merkel and imbued a surprising familiarity onto her persona.
“Justin Bieber Calvin Klein Ad” (2015)
After the admittedly goofy Justin Bieber Calvin Klein underwear ad came out, it wasn’t a surprise that SNL spoofed it, but it was a delight to see McKinnon at the helm. She’d previously played the Biebs in group sketches, but this was the first time that he was the star of the show. So much of McKinnon’s comedy is physical and this is clearest in the ways that she (literally) embodies her subjects. As the gyrating, XXS-wearing Bieber, she skewers his attempts to grow up in a way that still seems a bit gentle and loving.
“Ruth Bader Ginsburg” (various)
McKinnon’s favorite impression was also probably her best. While Hillary Clinton might be the most obvious political figure associated with the comedian’s time on air, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is by far the most memorable. As RBG, McKinnon played an unflappable force punching above her weight (and still managing to knock a few down). She tacked on to the late supreme court justice’s tiny size and seemingly endless well of energy, despite being in her 80s, and turned her into an unstoppable strength that seemed to transcend time and space. The highlight? Her “Ginsburns” — zings (usually reserved for Republicans) that result in dancing.
“Last Call” (various)
McKinnon’s grossest sketch also somehow became one of her most prolific recurring bits. Often airing toward the end of an episode, McKinnon plays Sheila Sovage, a drunk woman in a bar looking for a hookup at last call. The host always portrays an equally disgusting and horny individual, all played for laughs against Kenan Thompson’s stoic bartender, who just wants to go home and not have to watch these people make out. It’s revolting, messy, and somehow impossible to look away from — ultimately leaning into McKinnon’s commitment to proving that the ladies of SNL can be just as gross as the guys.
“Hillary Clinton” (various)
Not since Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin has an SNL political impression had such a chokehold on audiences. When McKinnon debuted her Hillary Clinton ahead of her IRL counterpart’s 2015 campaign announcement, effectively taking over for Amy Poehler, she avoided attempting an exact replica of Hillary and instead tapped into a very real desperation and ambition that seemed to vibrate from deep within. The result was incredible (and largely fed into McKinnon’s Emmy’s supremacy), taking viewers from the debates to the bar to a stoic moment at the piano after the 2016 election finally played out.
“Whiskers R We” (various)
Was this sketch maybe just an excuse to get to play with cats on live TV once or twice a season? Possibly. Did it become one of McKinnon’s most popular recurring bits? Definitely. As Barbara DeDrew, McKinnon flirtatiously plays opposite the female host as they attempt to cajole audiences into rescuing cats. The merit here is in McKinnon’s description of the cats, which start out fairly tame and then devolve into insanity. (“Butternut is a mastermind of psychological manipulation, who specializes in gaslighting.”) Everyone from Reese Witherspoon to Charlize Theron participated, but Barbara’s best came when Kristen Wiig hosted, making the most of McKinnon and Wiig’s easy chemistry.
“Kellyanne Conway” (various)
After Trump was elected, McKinnon slowly phased out Hillary and began to focus her political talents on Trump’s team. Kellyanne Conway became a particular target, thanks in no small part to the real-life Conway’s many wild soundbites and claims. While McKinnon’s Kellyanne had several memorable run-ins with Jake Tapper (including a Fatal Attraction skit that caught the real Tapper’s attention), it was the “Kellywise” sketch that solidified her place as one of McKinnon’s most memorable subjects. In it, she appears as a Pennywise-type figure attempting to lure Anderson Cooper into the storm drain, using her lies and deception to draw him closer (and even briefly transforming into Hillary once again).
“Elizabeth Warren” (various)
McKinnon’s Elizabeth Warren seemed like her next Hillary Clinton, but it didn’t last quite as long, since Warren dropped out of the Democratic primary campaign in early 2020. While McKinnon’s impressions are often about highlighting specific traits of a subject or leaning into a particularly funny attribute, her Warren impression is surprisingly grounded in accuracy. She nails the voice, the look, and Warren’s determined spirit from her very first “Nevertheless, she persisted,” and the impression became a tribute to McKinnon’s chameleonic abilities.
“Jeff Sessions” (various)
The response to Melissa McCarthy’s spin as Sean Spicer opened the floodgates for SNL’s female cast to play male members of Trump’s team, none more so than McKinnon. As Jeff Sessions, she’s a snickering, heel-kicking, cheeky leprechaun of a man who can’t quite believe what he’s getting away with. It’s an infantilizing portrayal (which seems to be the point) that manages to still underscore a certain degree of malice.
“Rudy Giuliani” (various)
In addition to Sessions, McKinnon took on Robert Mueller, Anthony Fauci, and Lindsey Graham, but nothing stuck quite like her version of Rudy Giuliani. While McKinnon’s Giuliani became a fixture on SNL, his best moment remains at the “Weekend Update” desk in the wake of the Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference fiasco (a plot that in itself could have been an SNL sketch). Again, McKinnon’s physical comedy comes into play, and her ghoulish, dismissive delivery of plans to contest the election results rings both hilarious and horrific.
“What Still Works Cold Open” (2021)
After (possibly purposefully) breaking character as Dr. Wenowdis at the end of 2020, wherein McKinnon confessed that she was not okay, the cracks began to show. When she opened the first show of 2021, she played herself in a cold open that attempted to figure out “what still works.” She interrogates politicians, the stock market, and tech CEOs, and ultimately surmises that everything just seems to be broken. It’s an excellent, frazzled performance and break from the norm as McKinnon relays her fatigued personal look at the world. In hindsight, it seems to be a clue that this was the beginning of the end of her SNL reign (and it was also one of the first seasons that she wasn’t the cast member with the most screen time).
“HomeGoods” (2021)
One of the last of the great McKinnon-Bryant sketches came during a canceled Christmas episode. A COVID spike forced the Paul Rudd–hosted episode to nix any live sketches and audiences, save for Rudd, Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, and Kenan Thompson, who instead introduced pre-filmed clips, most memorably the “HomeGoods” sketch. In it, McKinnon and Bryant play older mothers who are asked about what they want for Christmas, meant to prompt them to suggest HomeGoods items for a commercial. Instead, they request one thing: grandchildren. Charming and over the top, it gave McKinnon and Bryant another chance to lean into their kooky chemistry in their final season.
“Close Encounters” (various)
As topical and hilarious as her impressions were while she was on air, the thing that Kate McKinnon will probably be best remembered for, decades down the line, is “Close Encounters.” It’s McKinnon at her very best: playing a chain-smoking oddball original who can’t sit correctly in a chair. The sketch, which follows the classic “two normals and a weird” format, never failed to make a host break in its many, many iterations, and also managed to routinely take out her co-stars, including Bryant and Strong. McKinnon’s Colleen Rafferty, whose alien abduction debrief yields some interesting information when she realizes that she received different treatment than her fellow abductees, was also how McKinnon chose to go out, noting as she’s abducted up one last time that she “kind of felt like an alien on this planet anyway.”
