He just didn’t want to leave. Honestly, that’s the vibe Dana Carvey nailed when he stepped back onto the Studio 8H stage for the SNL cold open in late 2024. Most people expected a typical political caricature. What they got was a masterclass in "delicate" comedy that had people talking long after the credits rolled.
Dana Carvey as Joe Biden wasn't just another impression. It was a return of the king.
Why the SNL Cold Open Dana Carvey Performance Hit Different
Comedy is usually about the sharpest edge. But when Carvey took on Biden for the 50th season, he admitted on his Fly on the Wall podcast that he had to be careful. He told David Spade and guest Julie Bowen that he "knew he was compromised mentally." It was obvious to him, but in the comedy world, it was a minefield.
How do you make fun of the leader of the free world without it feeling like you're picking on an 82-year-old man in a nursing home?
Carvey found the "hooks."
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- The whisper-yelling.
- The "And by the way..."
- The "I'm not kidding around here."
- The "Look, Jack."
It wasn't just a voice. It was a rhythm. Carvey spent two years dialing this in before he ever debuted it on the season 50 premiere. He realized that "Sweet Joe" didn't have the "pop" of a Trump or an Obama. He needed the friction. He needed the guy who wants to do push-ups with you behind a gym but also forgets he's the President.
The Logistics of a Surprise Return
Lorne Michaels has a "break glass in case of emergency" list. When Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and Kamala Harris took the lead, the political sketches needed a massive energy boost. Maya Rudolph was already a lock for Harris. But they needed a Biden who could hold his own in those chaotic SNL cold open moments.
Carvey, now 70, stepped in alongside a heavy-hitter roster:
- Maya Rudolph as Kamala Harris
- Jim Gaffigan as Tim Walz
- Andy Samberg as Doug Emhoff
- James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump
The chemistry was weirdly nostalgic. It felt like the 90s renaissance, but with a 2026 lens of self-awareness.
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The Viral Moments and the "Dark MAGA" Pivot
One of the most memorable beats wasn't even about Biden. After the election results came in, Carvey made a hard pivot. He showed up in the November 10 cold open wearing a "Dark MAGA" hat as Elon Musk.
He was jumping. He was declaring he ran the country. He compared America to one of his rockets—cool, fun, but with a slight chance of blowing up and everyone dying. It was a jarring shift from the bumbling, "delicate" Biden to the high-energy, chaotic Musk.
This is what makes Carvey the "Michael Jordan of SNL," as some fans on Reddit call him. He doesn't just do a voice; he inhabits the manic energy of the moment.
What the White House Thought
You’d think the administration would be annoyed. Nope. Carvey revealed that Biden's own staff came to one of the SNL after-parties. They told him they loved it. They even jokingly invited him to the White House for lunch.
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Carvey’s response? He joked that the lunch never happened because "Biden wasn't aware of lunch." It's that kind of biting but weirdly affectionate humor that kept the impression from being "mean-spirited," a frequent critique of Alec Baldwin’s Trump.
The Critics: Was It One Note?
Not everyone was a fan. If you lurk in the LiveFromNewYork subreddits, you’ll see the "one-note" complaints.
- Repetitiveness: Some felt the "And by the way" catchphrase was used as a crutch.
- Laziness: A segment of the audience felt the "old man doesn't know where he is" joke was a bit tired by 2025.
- The Sudeikis Factor: Fans of Jason Sudeikis’s "Vibrant Joe" (the guy who works on a Trans Am in his driveway) felt Carvey’s version was too frail.
But Carvey’s Biden was for a specific era. It was for the "handing over the reins" era. When he told Maya Rudolph’s Kamala, "I didn't want to [leave]! They made me!" it captured a specific political tension that a more "vibrant" impression would have missed.
Actionable Takeaways for Comedy Fans
If you’re watching these sketches to understand the craft of a legendary impressionist, look at the "delicate" balance Carvey strikes.
- Find the physical "tell": Notice how Carvey uses the "no-look ice cream smash" or the specific way he walks to the podium. It tells a story before he even speaks.
- Listen for the vocal friction: Carvey doesn't just mimic the pitch; he mimics the transition from a whisper to a sudden shout.
- Context is everything: An impression that works in 2021 (the "Diamond Joe" era) feels wrong in 2024. Evolution is the only way to stay relevant.
To see the evolution yourself, go back and compare the season 50 premiere cold open with the "TikTok" sketch featuring Carvey and Rudolph. The nuance in his "delicate" approach becomes much clearer when you see him playing against the high-energy chaos of the younger cast.
Keep an eye on the SNL cold open in the coming weeks. Even as the political landscape shifts, the show's reliance on "alumni icons" like Dana Carvey suggests that the 50th anniversary era is less about the current cast and more about the legacy of the legends who built the stage.