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Gaffigan is out of a job after Walz loss

By Neal Justin, The Minnesota Star Tribune
Published: November 30, 2024, 5:47am

Donald Trump’s victory means Jim Gaffigan is out of a job.

The comedian had made several appearances as Gov. Tim Walz on “Saturday Night Live,” usually alongside Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris.

Gaffigan said he didn’t initially put his hat in the ring, even after Steve Martin passed on the opportunity.

“I know you don’t really campaign for things like that,” he said Thursday during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” “You’re respectful and just let the process happen, which means I”ll never get it.”

Gaffigan was shooting a movie in England when his manager told him he had informed “SNL” that the comedian had been sending him silly videos of his Walz impression. That was a lie.

Gaffigan went back to his hotel room to work on an impression he could send curious producers.

But the vice presidential candidate wasn’t his main inspiration.

“It was just an impression of my brother, Mitch,” said Gaffigan, referring to a sibling who’s a vice president at a Credit Union in Indiana. “Like Walz, my brother is a sweet, sincere, caring guy who tears up watching every sentimental movie he’s ever seen. That’s what I submitted. People say, ‘You do a great Tim Walz’ and I say, ‘I’m doing Mitch Gaffigan.’”

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