Phil Donahue was more than a trailblazing talk show host, he was also a mainstay of Saturday Night Live.
Donahue was one of the few non-political celebrities to be impersonated by three different SNL cast members.
The first was Joe Piscopo, who embodied the host during a sketch that aired on Oct. 2, 1982. In the scene, Donahue negotiates peace in the Middle East between Israel’s Menachem Begin (played by Tim Kazurinsky) and Palestine’s Yasser Arafat (played by Gary Kroeger). Though topical, the sketch only generated minor laughs. Still, it established a formula for Donahue as a character, and his talk show set proved to be a fertile ground for comedy in future episodes.
Phil Hartman’s ‘Genius’ Donahue Run
Arguably the most memorable Donahue impression came courtesy of Phil Hartman. The Canadian funnyman joined SNL in October 1986 and debuted his version of Donahue in his second episode. This time, the scenario was much closer to the silver-haired host’s real talk show: Donahue (Hartman) interviews two women (Victoria Jackson and Jan Hooks) who are in exploitative relationships. Hartman’s timing and cadence are played to perfection, expertly mimicking every one of Donahue’s mannerisms.
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The sketch’s kicker also lands superbly: A nice guy in the crowd (Jon Lovitz) takes the mic to talk about how women should be adored, only to have onstage ladies brush him aside so they can ogle a jerk in the crowd (Kevin Nealon).
Watch Phil Hartman as Phil Donahue on ‘Saturday Night Live’
Accurate, without taking itself seriously, absurd, without becoming ridiculous, Hartman’s version of Donahue became one of his most popular impressions. Years later, Entertainment Weekly would describe it as “a work of minor genius.” Even the man himself was a fan. When Hartman’s parents came to New York for the first time to sightsee, the real Phil Donahue insisted he join them.
Then, in 1989, things escalated even further. During a episode of Donahue, focused on Saturday Night Live‘s 15th anniversary, Hartman showed up and flawlessly impersonated the talk show host on his own set.
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“Oh my word, you made me famous,” the real Donahue proclaimed after Hartman delivered the show’s opening monologue in character. “Every time I see [the impersonation], I don’t laugh the first time. I watch it and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. And the second time, I laugh. And always laugh.”
Watch Phil Hartman as Phil Donahue on ‘Donahue’
Darrell Hammond Was ‘Saturday Night Live”s Longest Running Donahue
Hartman played Donahue a total of five times during his SNL tenure, one less than the last man to don the silver wig, Darrell Hammond.
While Hammond didn’t quite command the role the same way Hartman did, his voice matched the real Donahue’s perfectly. Unlike previous versions of the host, Hammond’s Donahue was more likely to appear in a random location than on a talk show set. Appearances on “Celebrity Jeopardy” sketches and “Weekend Update” segments highlight Hammond’s history with the impression. His final appearance in character — and, as it stands, the final impersonation of Donahue on SNL — aired Feb. 21, 2004 in a sketch featuring Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and the episode’s host, Christina Aguilera.
See Darrell Hammond as Phil Donahue on ‘Weekend Update’
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Gallery Credit: Corey Irwin
