Alec Baldwin Opens Up About Playing Donald Trump on 'SNL': 'He's Not Somebody I Admire'
Alec Baldwin's amazing impression of Donald Trump during this season of Saturday Night Live has been meet with (nearly) universal acclaim. However, despite his unflattering portrayal of the Republican presidential candidate, Baldwin says the impression doesn't come from a place of hate.
On Tuesday, the Golden Globe winner sat down for an interview on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show, where he opened up about how he formed his now-famous caricature of the 70-year-old business mogul.
"I don’t hate Trump, but he’s not somebody I admire," Baldwin said, after explaining how most impressions come from an appreciation for the person being mimicked. "So it was more difficult."
Baldwin went on to share that he almost turned down the role when SNL producer Lorne Michael first approached him with the suggestion. The actor admitted that he initially didn't think he could pull it off better than former castmembers Taran Killam and Daryl Hammond, who have both famously played Trump in past seasons.
However, as Trump's persona changed from a larger-than-life egomaniac into a more vitriolic politician, Baldwin said people were looking for a different kind of impression than those in the past. "[I] think that people were ready to take in that version of him, which is so aggressive," he shared.
The 58-year-old 30 Rock star went on to say that the material came pretty easy to the SNL writing staff.
"[Trump] is the head writer of his own comedy routine," he said. "Everything he just supplied to us."
WATCH: Donald Trump Not Pleased With 'Saturday Night Live,' Says Alec Baldwin's Impression 'Stinks'
While Baldwin didn't have many kind words for the divisive candidate, he had nothing but love for SNL castmember Kate McKinnon, whose stellar portrayal of Trump’s policitical adversary, Hillary Clinton, during this election season has been roundly praised.
"One of my greatest joys is that I got to do it with Kate," he said. "She is just this staggering, talented woman. And she’s smart, because she mixes the sweet and the sour in there. There’s Hillary, the very driven and very, very ambitious woman and there’s Hillary, who [Kate] really made her into this sweet, kind of cartoon character and lovable in a way and that’s her gift."
Baldwin and McKinnon faced off as Trump and Hillary in a surprisingly emotional SNL cold open over the weekend where, after trading their usual barbs, the stars broke character to share an emotional message of hope and unity.
While SNL's next episode will come after the election has been decided, that doesn't mean we've seen the last of Baldwin's Trump. Check out the video below for a look at the first time he stepped into the Republican candidate's shoes for the SNL season 42 premiere back in October.
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