Jay Pharoah is here to prove Saturday Night Live made a huge mistake in letting him go.
The comedian — who was best known for his uncanny celebrity impressions on the sketch comedy show — stopped by the Chicago daytime talk show Windy City Live to give fans — and maybe his old boss Lorne Michaels — as taste of why he’s the best when it comes to impersonating A-listers.
In the span of just under three minutes, Pharoah slays everyone, from Kevin Hart to Eddie Murphy, Denzel Washington, Jay-Z and of course, President Obama. Host Ryan Chiaverini prompts Pharoah with a list of stars paired with hypothetical situations: Obama responding to Trump’s RNC speech, why Denzel Washington wouldn’t want a job at the White House, Jay-Z on Beyonce’s Lemonade and cheating rumors. The comedian only needs a few seconds to get into character before he’s off, doing some spot-on impressions with hilarious results. He even gets in a nod to the late, great Bernie Mac.
Pharoah’s always been strong when it comes to impersonating celebs but its videos like this that show what a loss his SNL exit will be to the show this year. He was part of a purge that saw fellow veteran Taran Killam and rookie Jon Rudnitsky both dropped before the new season began. Killam told Uproxx’s Mike Ryan the decision to leave wasn’t his, but Pharoah’s been a bit more mum on the whole thing. It’s puzzling that SNL would let both men go, but Pharoah, who’s been the show’s go-to on-screen Obama is the real head scratcher, especially in the middle of such a tumultuous election year.
Here’s hoping this video can convince Michaels he made a mistake and we’ll at least get a few guest appearances by the star this season.
(Via Windy City Live)
