Alec Baldwin Shares Secret of Playing Trump: ‘Eyebrow Up, Stick My Face Out’ (Video)
“I was in the makeup room putting my wig on and it was literally a scene from a mental hospital,” the “SNL” star tells Jimmy Kimmel of the first time he played the president
Debbie Emery | March 1, 2017 @ 8:40 PM
Last Updated: March 2, 2017 @ 5:09 PM
There is an art to playing Donald Trump, and Alec Baldwin has definitely perfected it.
The “Glengarry Glen Ross” star walked Jimmy Kimmel through the process of portraying the president on “Saturday Night Live.” And the first time he did it involved far less preparation than you’d think.
“The stage manager takes me to my mark for the first dress rehearsal at 8 o’clock, I had no idea what I was going to do,” Baldwin told the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host on Wednesday night.
“The moment I walked out, I just said to myself ‘eyebrow up, stick my face out, stick my mouth out’ — I was in the makeup room putting my wig on and it was literally a scene from a mental hospital,” he revealed, before spewing the word “China” over and over in his best Trump voice.
The resulting impersonation delighted “SNL” fans — and infuriated Trump, who’s since blasted both Baldwin and the show on Twitter.
.@NBCNews is bad but Saturday Night Live is the worst of NBC. Not funny, cast is terrible, always a complete hit job. Really bad television!
Baldwin also told Kimmel that he was reluctant to even play the current POTUS when “SNL” creator/producer Lorne Michaels initially asked him to.
“I said ‘no, I don’t want to be Donald Trump on TV,’ because any time you have some kind of mimicry, it’s usually someone you appreciate.
“And I didn’t hate Trump … but Tina and Lorne pushed me.”
A flood of comedians are now lobbying to play Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner, and they all say Baldwin “sucks,” he joked.
“People ask ‘what was your whole gag?’ You can kind of suggest the voice, or suggest the way they look, but you’ve got to think of who he is,” he said of the proper technique to use when impersonating someone.
“To me, Trump is someone who is always searching for a stronger or better word, and he never finds it,” Baldwin told Kimmel.
Watch the video above.
Alec Baldwin's 11 Best 'SNL' Performances, From Schweddy Balls to Trump (Videos)
Brenda the Waitress: This 1990 sketch, one of Baldwin's earliest cameos on "SNL," is filled with fast-paced banter, innuendos and Baldwin's signature charisma.
Soap Opera Digest (Saturday Night Live)
Soap Opera Digest: Cited as one of Baldwin’s favorite sketches, in this 1993 sketch, he portrays a doctor who is unable to pronounce medical terms.
Canteen Boy Goes Camping (Saturday Night Live)
Canteen Boy Goes Camping: Though this 1994 sketch received some backlash, his portrayal of an inappropriate scoutmaster, co-starring Adam Sandler, remains one of Baldwin's most memorable performances.
Bill Brasky: Airport Bar (Saturday Night Live)
Brasky’s Buddies at an Airport Bar: Baldwin, in this 1996 skit, is joined by a group of drunk colleagues, reminiscing on moments spent with infamous friend Bill Brasky.
NPRs Delicious Dish Schweddy Balls (Saturday Night Live)
Schweddy Balls: One of the most iconic "Saturday Night Live" skits which even launched its own Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor -- this 1998 sketch stars Baldwin as baker Pete Schweddy, introducing his signature dish holiday "Schweddy Balls."
Prince Charles (Saturday Night Live)
Prince Charles Press Conference: In this 2003 sketch, following Prince Charles' gay scandal, Baldwin plays his press secretary commenting on the royal's alleged indiscretions.
Francais (Saturday Night Live)
Monsieur Nobek Teaches Français: Playing a flamboyant French teacher in this 2003 sketch, Baldwin teaches his students to mimic his high-pitched tones instead of teaching them the language.
Glengarry Christmas - Elf Motivation (Saturday Night Live)
Glengarry Glen Christmas: Elf Motivation: In this 2005 sketch, Baldwin channels his "Glengarry Glen Ross" character playing Winter's Breath, motivating his disgruntled elves to continue building toys.
Platinum Lounge (Saturday Night Live)
"SNL" Platinum Lounge: Frequent co-hosts Baldwin and Steve Martin star in this 2006 sketch as bitter rivals while sharing a drink in the exclusive "SNL" platinum lounge, for members who have hosted more than 12 times.
SNL 40: Celebrity Jeopardy (Saturday Night Live)
SNL40: Celebrity Jeopardy: In this 40th anniversary episode from 2015, Baldwin shines in his recurring role as Tony Bennett playing "Celebrity Jeopardy."
Oval Office Cold Open: In one of Baldwin's funniest turns as President Donald Trump, he channels two weeks of executive actions and other news items to turn out a ton of jokes that channel absurdity while still finding new ways to be funny.
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Ahead of his record 17th time as host, TheWrap looks back on the actor’s most famous performances from the long-running NBC sketch comedy series
Brenda the Waitress: This 1990 sketch, one of Baldwin's earliest cameos on "SNL," is filled with fast-paced banter, innuendos and Baldwin's signature charisma.
