James Austin Johnson isn’t just sharpening impressions these days—he’s cutting together his first comedy special.
The Saturday Night Live star revealed in an Instagram post Monday that he’s “editing a comedy special right now,” which will mark his debut.
Johnson is one of three current SNLers who’ve recently announced plans for new comedy specials. Marcello Hernández recorded a new hour for Netflix this past weekend in Miami, while Sarah Sherman taped a special last month in Brooklyn.
It was Johnson’s viral Donald Trump videos that first caught SNL’s eye. He’s continued releasing short films on YouTube since joining the casr, including a new installment of his mock music-doc series Genius and another titled VÄÄMM.
He’s also coming off a busy summer stand-up run. His ‘Return To Office’ tour spanned nineteen cities, included a benefit show with castmate Andrew Dismukes, and a kickoff at Los Angeles’ Largo with indie rocker David Longstreth of Dirty Projectors.
No release date for the special has been announced. “No idea when we put it out,” Johnson wrote. “Keep your eyes peeled.”
In between wrapping the tour and preparing for a new season of SNL, Johnson shared a handful of Bob Dylan covers (“She Belongs To Me”) and relaunched Post-War, the monthly stand-up show he co-hosts at New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.
Johnson returns to SNL when the show kicks off its 51st season on October 4.
