
A certain former Saturday Night Live cast member may be making her way back to the mothership this week. That is, if a growing chorus of fans have their way.
It was this past Tuesday that Bishop Mariann Budde presided over a prayer service that was attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, delivering a sermon that included a direct plea to the president to “have mercy” on vulnerable communities. Her comments apparently angered Trump, who later called her “nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.”
Now, with a headshot of the bishop being shared widely online, many are saying Budde bears an uncanny resemblance to Kate McKinnon—and hoping/predicting that the former SNL performer should portray the bishop in on this week’s show.
“They fitting Kate McKinnon for a wig for SNL this week I just know it,” wrote one X user in a repost of the photo.
“She’s just begging to be played by Kate McKinnon on the next SNL set,” wrote another.
“I know we’re all thinking about bringing back Kate McKinnon for this,” said a Reddit user on the r/LiveFromNewYork subreddit.
And those were far from the only people to note the resemblance, with dozens of other commenters posting similar messages on social media platforms like X, Threads, and Instagram.
Of course, just because the internet asks for it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen—but it’s also not unprecedented for SNL to take its cues from what the internet is saying. When hoardes of fans suggested Steve Martin play vice presidential candidate Tim Walz last summer, Lorne Michaels offered him the part. After Martin turned it down, the role ultimately went to another comedian on social media’s shortlist, Jim Gaffigan.
As the Democratic VP nominee, Walz was basically a shoo-in to be portrayed by someone on SNL. In contrast, it’s far from guaranteed that Budde’s sermon will even be mentioned on the sketch show—and with SNL only on the air for one more week before it takes a month off for its anniversary special, this weekend’s episode will likely be the show’s only opportunity to address the topic.
Still, a slew of SNL alumni have made surprise appearances on the show this year as it celebrates its 50th anniversary season—and this week may well be no exception. Since leaving the show in 2022, McKinnon has returned to the show twice—once as host in late 2023, and again a few months later on the Ryan Gosling-hosted episode.
She’s also expressed a willingness to return for the show’s 50th season. “I mean I would love to,” she said during a Today show appearance in October. McKinnon—who lives in upstate New York—added that she was just a train ride away.
Saturday Night Live returns this Saturday with Timothée Chalamet, who will be serving as both host and musical guest.