Top 25 Impressions

September 2002

25) Jan Hooks as Sinead O'Connor
"Sin-bad O'Connor." That's just something Frank Sinatra (Phil Hartman) would say to Sinead on "The Sinatra Group." This is often an impression overlooked, but was rather one of the funnier ones during its time, especially right around the time she ripped up the picture of the Pope on SNL (I always thought Father Guido should've showed up after that).

24) Jimmy Fallon as Nicholas Cage
Most of the impressions worked up for Celebrity Jeopardy, whether it be the host or not, is almost guaranteed excellent. When he did this impression he had the look on his face like I get when I can't find my wallet. Like most of Fallon's impression, he has the voice down cold but the looks aren't that great.

23) Darrell Hammond as Dick Cheney
"And believe me, I know a little something about Enron." As usual of a Hammond impression, this one, to be, is so accurate, it's scary. You really have to follow the real VP to understand what Darrell is talking about. He always shadows over George W. (Will Ferrell) and always has a filthy plan to benefit the rich.

22) Seth Meyers as Hugh Grant
Seen only once on SNL, I balled into laughs straight through the commercial over this. He may have only had one or two lines, but what he did have made Hugh look like a total snob and careless bitch, just as how I see him. Contemplating putting this one on, but it really deserves it.

21) Tim Meadows as Ike Turner
"I'm sorry, baby. I won't do it again," was what Tim would blurt out after he humiliated Kevin Nealon on Weekend Update. This was probably his most earliest recurring impression that got him some air time. There's nothing like Ike and Kevin singing Valentine Day songs to each other either.

20) Al Franken as Paul Tsongas
Few know or give credit to Franken's hilarity, primarily because he wasn't always seen on the show, but the times he did Tsongas, it was so uncanny it had many laughing for hours. The most memorable sketch has to be the Star Wars Convention.

19) Dan Aykroyd as Julia Child
For some reason, this is one of the few images that's in the back of my head from the 70's era. Dan's impression was so kooky and weird, that's what made it funny. Chopping off his hand was a classic.

18) Will Ferrell as Janet Reno
This impression looked a lot like Reno, but the voice lacked. Wait, what did I just say? Reno does sound like a man. Oh, I know, she's nice, I shouldn't say that. I would vote for her if I could. Janet Reno's Dance Party was one of the better sketches of his time. Most memorable moment was when Reno asked Wolf Blitzer (Mark McKinney) to sit on her back while she did push ups for the press conference. And, who can forget the real Reno cameo.

17) Will Ferrell as Neil Diamond
"It gets crazy on the road, and awful lonely. That's why I love pornography. This next song is all about my love of hardcore, barely-legal pornography." That has to be the funniest line I ever heard out of Will Ferrell's mouth. Whether it be on Storytellers or on Weekend Update, Will would show up stoned out of his mind, never knowing where he is. One of his better impressions.

16) Dana Carvey as Jimmy Stewart
Once again, the voice was great here, while the look wasn't. But, that's not to say that this impression is hilarious. He would come on Update to read his holiday stories and tell us what it was like to live back in the 1950's.

15) Ana Gasteyer as Martha Stewart
Better than anyone who did it before her, Ana made Martha look like a deviant, selfish, money hungry, heartless bitch. "They make perfect receptacles for public urination." Ana isn't known for her impressions, but this has to be one of her better ones.

14) Will Ferrell as George W. Bush
Done for only 2 ½ years on the show, Will made Bush look like the 5th grader, toilet mouth man he is. He'd get so confused then think of a really big word then feel proud and raise his eyebrows. The First Presidential Debate and the Bush chokes on a pretzel sketch have to be the best one's I've seen.

13) Jeff Richards as David Letterman
Also only seen once as of the 27th season, Jeff brought a much more accurate and hilarious impression than Norm MacDonald or Joe Piscopo. The little we've seen has been with his Late Show glasses and his cigar. Possibly Jeff's best impression, and he looks like him too!

12) Dana Carvey as Dennis Miller
The funny thing about this is Dennis didn't care that Dana made him look like an ass. He would get on Update and just go off with the mannerisms and the jokes that really no one gets. He even started a spinoff series, "Cooking with Dennis Miller," where he continued to use his wit. One time, both were taking turns reading a holiday story, when the real Dennis stumbled on a sentence, with Dana following, "You okay there, babe?"

11) Dan Aykroyd as Jimmy Carter
This was the first true Presidential impression of the show; Chevy wasn't (and isn't on this list) because he looked nothing like him and didn't talk nor act like him, and didn't even try. Dan had the southern accent down and everything else that went along with him.

10) Will Ferrell as James Lipton
Ferrell isn't that great at impressions- but this is his best. He portrays Lipton as a wandering freak who can't speak French. If you ever have seen the real Inside the Actor's Studio, you know Will does an excellent job with this. He's crafted it into perfection- my favorite guest has to be Skreech, and "what is favorite curse word" is, being "frosted nuts."

9) Phil Hartman as Ronald Reagan
The best Reagan out of anyone before him (Randy Quaid, Brian Doyle-Murray, Charlie Rocket), Phil always made this fun loving public prez into this deceitful could-care-less prez behind the scenes.

8) Dana Carvey as George Bush, Sr.
In this impression, Dana barely looked anything like Bush (the glasses helped out a bit), and didn't sound all that much like him either, but sure acted like him. He created catch phrases as "na-ga-da" and "Dan Quayle: still gaining acceptance!" Night vision inferred goggles was my favorite Bush sketch, and when the real Bush made a cameo in October 1994.

7) Darrell Hammond as Sean Connery
Darrell created this 00-7 into a toilet mouth, Trebek mother loving figure. The stuff he has said and categories he's mistaken are hilarious. Just the devilish look on his face alone could make you laugh. Favorite line is from the Winona Ryder Jeopardy, when the real Trebek makes a cameo and Connery replies to them, "I feel like I'm in a raisin bran commercial; two scoops of fruit!"

6) Joe Piscopo as Frank Sinatra
One of the few bright spots of the early 80's. Joe's impression was so dead on it was scary. He ranks higher than Hartman's Sinatra because he just had more of the feel for it and actually talked like him more. Best moment has to be when he and Stevie Wonder were in the recording studio together. This is an amazing dialogue between Frank and Stevie-

You are black, and I am white
Life's an Eskimo Pie, let's…take a bite!
That was groovy thinkin'
Lincoln, when you set them freeee...

We all know
Cats are the same
Maine to Mexico.
Good. Bad.
Guys and chicks!"

I am dark, and you are light.

You are blind as a bat, and I have sight!

5) Phil Hartman as Phil Donahue
Phil could just look like Donahue and he would still be funny. The outrageous questions and rants that he would get on are absurd but hilarious. I can remember seeing one and he was in a rant about teen sex and the producers of the shows cut him off so they could get the promotional stuff and credits in, and then cut back to him to end the show.

4) Dana Carvey as Ross Perot
David Spade was tapped into playing Ross Perot at first because Dana had to do Bush duties, but Lorne quickly decided that Dana had the better impression so he gave it to him. This was some of the mist outrageous stuff I've ever heard- if the country sees 5% growth, he gets $150 billion. Insane. I remember Dana on Dennis Miller Live on night, and he did a Perot impression to show how old and senile he was, "Now Larry, you cannot put a porcupine in a bar and expect it to poop pit licorice." Insane, isn't it?

3) Billy Crystal as Sammy Davis, Jr.
This impression was so dead on, it too was scary. Tim Meadows played him too but wasn't nearly as good as Billy. He went all out on this, and it was by far his best work on the show.

2) Dana Carvey as Johnny Carson
The King of Late Night, but which one? Both Dana and Johnny were. But, Dana had an incredible impression of him; "This is some real wild and crazy stuff here." Not to mention, Phil Hartman had an excellent Ed McMahon; "YES SIR!" Dana was really on this one and by far his best work.

And the #1 Impression on Saturday Night Live is

1) Darrell Hammond as Bill Clinton
Some of you disagree with this one; but, I don't think I've ever seen anyone played as well as Darrell plays Bill. The impression is so uncanny and hilarious it makes you wonder if it is him. The eyes, the thumb thing, bit the lip- all what Clinton does. And the way he talks sometimes just has me rolling. He's done him for over 7 years and he's only gotten better and funnier at it.

Well, there you have it. I know you don't agree with some of them, but it's just my opinion of some of the best impressions ever seen on TV.