‘Saturday Night Live’ Isn’t the First Time Jim Carrey Has Faced Off Against Alec Baldwin
Sonic the Hedgehog proved two things in its early 2020 release. First, video game movies can still deliver at the box office. And Jim Carrey can still whip out a delightfully over-the-top comedic performance as few others can. So it stands to reason Saturday Night Live would scoop him up for season 46. After all, Carrey has gone up against fellow SNL guest Alec Baldwin before.
Jim Carrey joins ‘Saturday Night Live’ season 46 as Joe Biden
Before breaking out as a movie star in 1994’s Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Carrey was a standout on Fox’s sketch comedy series In Living Color. But he has rarely appeared on SNL over the years. In fact, since his first appearance in 1996, Carrey has only hosted three times and made a single surprise appearance in 2003.
So news he would join SNL Season 46 at all came as a surprise. Carrey isn’t only showing up in a single episode. He’ll have a recurring role throughout the season as the show’s new Joe Biden. Jason Sudeikis, Woody Harrelson, and John Mulaney have all previously played the presidential candidate. So most fans assumed one of them would reprise the role.
Carrey and Alec Baldwin have taken each other on in a previous project
Going into the 2020 election, Carrey’s Biden will go head to head with Baldwin’s Donald Trump. Much like Carrey’s stunt casting as Biden, Baldwin joined SNL is a regular capacity when he debuted as Trump just before the 2016 election. But he and Carrey have actually worked together before on the big screen.
In the 2005 comedy Fun with Dick and Jane, Carrey and Téa Leoni star as the titular working-class couple, who turns to a life of crime after Dick’s company goes under. While the film isn’t one of Carrey’s biggest hits, it does co-star Baldwin as Dick’s deceptive boss. And the story ultimately evolves into a showdown between the two characters.
Will Carrey continue on as Biden if he wins the presidential election?
Seeing Carrey and Baldwin impersonate the two presidential candidates should prove to be a highlight of the upcoming season of SNL. However, the question remains whether Carrey will stick around for the long haul if Biden does end up winning.
After all, Baldwin and other actors — such as Maya Rudolph as Kamala Harris — aren’t current SNL cast members. So it remains to be seen how the show’s approach will adjust based on how the upcoming presidential election pans out. But at the very least, Carrey should keep it fresh.
