14 of Emmy Nominee Kate McKinnon's Best Saturday Night Live Sketches
From her hilarious performances in comedies like The Spy Who Dumped Me to her weekly laughs on Saturday Night Live, Kate McKinnon has proved herself to be one of the funniest people alive.
So it’s no surprise that she snagged her sixth consecutive Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for SNL. As we prepare for the awards to be handed out on Sunday night, take a look at a few of McKinnon’s hilarious sketches that earned her the nomination — and potentially the prize!
1. Her Jeff Sessions impression.
McKinnon added an elfish take on the Attorney General to her repertoire of political characters. The “Jeff Sessions Gump Cold Open” was one of her most memorable Sessions skits.
2. Her It and Kellyanne Conway mashup.
McKinnon gave us nightmares and cracked us up when she brought to life “Kellywise,” a combination of Stephen King’s terrorizing clown and the presidential counselor.
3. Her Ellen DeGeneres impersonation.
The talk show host herself is a fan of McKinnon’s spot-on portrayal, and has even invited McKinnon on her show to bring double trouble on multiple occasions.
4. The ‘Back Home Ballers’ music video.
Even in group music videos with her fellow SNL castmates, McKinnon shines. In this one, all about the sheer bliss of living under your parents’ roof again during the holidays, McKinnon raps out her mom’s WiFi password, which, of course, starts with 17 zeroes.
5. Her character, Olya Povlatsky, who makes visits to Weekend Update.
It’s always a good day when SNL‘s resident rural Russian, Olya Povlatsky, stops by Weekend Update. Her favorite topics to discuss include Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, the Russian track team’s doping scandal and pretty much anything Russia-related.
6. Her Angela Merkel impression.
McKinnon’s solidified her place as the go-to SNL political impersonator, no matter the country of origin. Notably, she’s taken on German Chancellor Angela Merkel, nailing one-liners about Krampus, texting Hillary Clinton and contending with President Trump.
7. Her Ruth Bader Ginsburg impression.
Taking on the role of the Notorious RBG is a lofty challenge, but it’s one McKinnon is more than up for.
8. Her Justin Bieber impression.
It’s not just political figures that McKinnon has a knack for: she also does a hilarious Biebs. From an 86-year-old Supreme Court justice to a 25-year-old pop star, let’s face it: McKinnon is a woman of many talents.
9. A not-so-beautiful little mermaid.
McKinnon isn’t afraid to get a little ugly, like when she portrayed a mermaid that is 35 percent woman, 65 percent blobfish.
10. Her turn as Miss Rafferty, a woman who was abducted by aliens …
Things don’t always seem to go so well for Miss Rafferty when compared to the experiences of others. And no one in this scene (especially Ryan Gosling!) could hold back their giggles when her character spoke.
11. … and then survived a near-death experience.
Miss Rafferty came back for a second sketch, this time after she was briefly dead following a car crash. It went about as poorly as the alien abduction did.
12. Her Hillary Clinton impression.
Though McKinnon has had a lot of standout performances on SNL, her Hillary Clinton impersonation, which she did throughout (and before) the 2016 election season, is without a doubt her most famous. It’s so great, in fact, that Clinton herself couldn’t resist doing a scene with the star.
13. Her Elizabeth Warren impression.
While we’re sure her famous Clinton impression isn’t going anywhere, season 44 saw McKinnon taking on the role of yet another powerful female Democratic hopeful, this time for the 2020 presidential race: Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.
14. Her turn as a Drivers Ed teacher who fell down.
In a scene featuring Pete Davidson and Jonah Hill, McKinnon portrayed a teacher who had fallen to the ground from “teaching too fast,” as she tells her students — who inform her that she actually tripped on her Heelys (shoes with wheels). Sitting like an uncomfortable mermaid, she attempts to continue her lesson while the guest stars try to keep straight faces, proving that she’s as talented at building her own characters as she is at her iconic impressions.
The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
