Top 10 SNL Hosts Who Parodied Their Famous Characters

You know that guy who peaked in high school and wont stop talking about it? Thats basically Harry Potter in this sketch. After defeating Voldemort, his lifes been...a little uneventful. He returns to Hogwarts to welcome new students, but he makes the whole thing about himself. While everyone else has grown upmarriages, careers, actual livesHarrys still stuck reliving his heroic past. Watching Daniel Radcliffe poke fun at his most iconic role is such a treat. Honestly, this feels like the epilogue we deserved. And if they ever make Harry Potter and the Midlife Crisis, well be first in line. Itd be a hitawkward, hilarious, and a little too real.

With Jon Hamm hosting, it felt like a Mad Men moment was bound to happenand this sketch delivers. Hes joined by co-stars and real-life scene stealers Jason Sudeikis and Kristen Wiig, reprising their gum-chewing A-Holes. Its a brilliant crossover. Everyones in top form, but Hamm especially shines with a dramatic monologue that gives serious Carousel pitch vibes. The sketch nails the look and feel of the original series while tossing in just enough absurdity to make it sing. The A-holes might not exactly fit the 1960s aesthetic, but that just makes it funnier. Also, wed 100% watch a retro drama starring these two ridiculous characters. The Mad Men guys certainly meet their match!

Its New York Fashion Week! Who better to weigh in on style than Derek Zoolander and Hansel? Well, theyre there to talk politicsspecifically, fashion in politics. The sketch milks every bit of comedy from the pairs clueless worldview colliding with the fashion worlds over-the-top seriousness. With the 2016 election in full swing, they somehow manage to skip the major issues and focus on what really matters: outfits. From Hillary Clintons 90s throwback to Tom... Cruise, apparently? Honestly, where were these fashion pundits when we needed them? This wasnt Dereks only Weekend Update visit. Zoolander and Stefon teaming up? Thats the crossover movie we want to see!

Like Harry Potter earlier, Troy Bolton left high school only to find out, surprise! The real world kind of sucks. But unlike Harry, hes not stuck in the past. Hes back at East High to deliver some crushing news: real life isnt a musical. We know. Breathe. Apparently, in the real world, people dont randomly burst into song, stare into invisible cameras, or launch into full choreography in the cafeteria. Worsewhen you sing out loud, people can hear you. Still, while Harrys stuck reliving his glory days, Troy is warmly welcomed back to the all-singing, all-dancing East High. Sounds like High School Musical 4 just wrote itself!

In a segment about getting young people involved in local government, who better to weigh in than April Ludgate? Shes still as sardonic, deadpan, and fierce as ever, with that dark sense of humor barely covering the fact that she actually caresjust dont tell anyone. She even offers up some sage-ish advice before stopping herself short of showing shes, you know, invested. So who better to take over than Leslie Knope? Shes a huge SNL fan, by the way! Its so much fun seeing her sunshiney enthusiasm clash with Aprils gloomier outlook again. And it turns out Leslies got solid comedy chops. Its almost like shes done this before.

With various Avengers actors hosting the show, SNL hasnt missed a chance to poke fun at the MCU. Like this sketch, where Thors still buzzing from the high of defeating Ultron and refuses to turn the hero dial down. Given how serious the movies can get, its so fun seeing Hemsworth lean into Thors sillier side. Then theres the Black Widow trailer, with Scarlett Johansson playing her as a rom-com lead. Sure, the eventual movie went another way, but come onthe sequel potential is right there. And of course, Jeremy Renner calling out the obviousHawkeyes powers are... not exactly top-tier. Watching him roll with the punches is genuinely entertaining.

Freeman doesnt just parody one of his most iconic characters in this sketch; he mashes up two of them: Middle-earth meets mundane office life. Bilbo Baggins steps into the world of a paper company, and it totally works. Turns out Bilbo has a lot in common with The Offices Tim Canterbury: dry wit, self-deprecating humor, and that low-key, quietly suffering energy that says, Im doing my best, please dont talk to me before second breakfast (one for your Lord of the Rings fans). Watching him navigate various coworkers and petty pranks is weirdly perfect. Honestly, wed watch an entire series of this. Bonus points for Taran Killam returning as Gollum, obviously.

After the Barbenheimer summer takeover, movie pundits were desperate to bottle that same double-feature magic (or triple in this case) with Wicked, Moana 2, and Gladiator 2. The obvious solution? Make Gladiator 2 a musical, of course. And honestly, after seeing Paul Mescal belt out battle ballads and nail choreography, were askingwhy isnt this a musical? Hes got the voice, the charisma, and enough stage presence to bring the Colosseum down. With Lin-Manuel Miranda on lyrics, it basically writes itself. All were saying is Broadway better brace itself. And dont even think about recasting Lucius; Mescals got the voice, the charm, and the battle cry to bring the house down.

Given the ever-expanding galaxy that is Star Wars, its no surprise SNL has taken more than a few swings at it. But the standout is easily the Undercover Boss sketch where Adam Drivers Kylo Ren poses as Matt, a radar technician, to see what really goes on at Starkiller Base. Spoiler: almost no one is fooled by the disguise. What we get instead is a painfully relatable workplace scenario where the big boss tries to experience the daily grind and, surprise surprise, absolutely cannot handle it. Driver plays it completely straight-faced, which somehow makes it even funnier. No wonder they brought him back for a Where Are They Now.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Those Dragons Really Do Steal the Scene

Katniss & Peeta Might Prefer to Relive The Hunger Games than Answer These Press Questions

Wilsons Not So Sure About the Direction Theyve Steered His Character in Cars 4

Two Women Wash Up on Themyscira to Join the Speculation Around Wonder Womans Sexuality

SNL Had a Founding Fathers Sketch Ready, & They Were Not Throwing Away Their Shot to Get Miranda Involved

Darnell, what is one of the best Black Jeopardy segments of all time? Its the one where Chadwick Boseman plays TChalla, still in full Wakandan mode, trying to wrap his head around Black American culture. He brings that royal elegance and wide-eyed honesty, which makes every moment land perfectly. The sketch is smart, sharp, and surprisingly wholesome, with TChalla slowly catching on to the game until he draws the line at unseasoned potato salad. That moment instantly became a classic and, lets be real, a necessary public service announcement. Because, yes, seasoning your food matters. And no, salt is not the only one out there. TChalla said what he said!

What was your favorite character parody? Let us know in the comments