Top 10 Most Savage Impressions Done in Front of the Actual Person
#10: Frank Caliendo as David Letterman
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Known for his stand-up comedy and television appearances, Frank Caliendo has garnered a reputation as one of the best impressionists of the century. He displayed this talent when he stopped by the “Late Show with David Letterman” to perform an all-star lineup of characters. After doing accurate interpretations of George W. Bush and John Madden, the comedian transitions into a surprise performance of Letterman himself. Caliendo captures the facial expressions and speech patterns of the host perfectly. The comedian also makes a commendable turn as the show’s bandleader Paul Shaffer. When Caliendo imitates the presenter's laugh, we can tell he nailed it. Seeing the comedian fearlessly impersonate the host made for great late night tv.
#9: Oprah Winfrey as Reese Witherspoon
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While three cast members of “A Wrinkle in Time” were promoting their film, they joined James Corden on “The Late Late Show” couch. The host asked the three performers about their time working together and prompted them to do accurate impressions of each other. Oprah Winfrey’s imitation of Reese Witherspoon is a standout with its Southern drawl. The TV legend makes her co-star crack up with details about the actress’ onset antics. In the interest of fairness, Witherspoon also gets to fight back with an impression of her own. She also gets to imitate Mindy Kaling too. We never expected to see these powerhouses take jabs at each other. Thankfully, they have as much fun roasting each other as we did watching them.
#8: Keke Palmer as Angela Bassett
Sixteen years after the release of the film “Akeelah and the Bee,” Angela Bassett and Keke Palmer reunited in a discussion for Vanity Fair. This included some fond memories of the filming and some fan appreciation from Palmer. She does a spot-on impression of Bassett’s role as Katherine Jackson in “The Jacksons: An American Dream.” In the video, the younger actress puts her entire face into this imitation to capture the veteran’s mannerisms. For a moment, we thought Bassett would be thrown off by Palmer’s highly dramatic take. But the esteemed performer decides to join in the mimicry. She embraces the over-the-top nature of her past role with glee. Together, the duo made an unfiltered impression absolutely hilarious.
#7: Bill Hader as John Malkovich
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Bill Hader's talk show host character Vinny Vedecci welcomed John Malkovich in this hilarious "Saturday Night Live" appearance. After doing a loose attempt at a career retrospective, Vedecci does an impersonation of the seasoned actor. Hader effortlessly imitates his scene partner’s cadence and voice perfectly. And to make matters more impressive, he even retains hints of the accent he was doing for Vedecci at the same time. While Malkovich plays along, the idea of getting easily impersonated by someone who is also putting on a fake accent is pretty savage. Hader’s ability to juggle both his character and a celebrity impression is both brutal and peak comedic talent.
#6: Julie Bowen as Sofia Vergara
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After the cast of “Modern Family” got on“Ellen”, we were treated to some great banter. It also gave Julie Bowen a chance to show off her impression of Sofia Vergara. She’s definitely not the only person to have an imitation of the Colombian actress. However, Bowen definitely rose above the rest with a story about getting ready for the talk show. Vergara and her co-stars immediately chuckled at the precision of the accent. On one hand, Bowen's interpretation took shots at the actress’ personality and well known voice. But she also captured the performer’s joyful personality and fashion sense. Vergara can’t help but agree that it was accurate when she discussed her wardrobe.
#5: Tom Hiddleston as Graham Norton
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When Graham Norton welcomed Tom Hiddleston onto his talk show, he probably didn’t consider that he would be the source of an impression. After the host mentioned that people don’t often do impersonations of him, the actor took it as a challenge. Hiddleston asked for props and used the presenter’s cards to great effect. Before Norton can realize what’s going on, the actor completely took over. Hiddleston chose to capture the host by going over-the-top and rapidly switching pitch and tone. By the end of the whirlwind interpretation, everyone on the couch is completely amused by the performance. Norton himself had no choice but to admit Hiddleston had nailed him.
#4: Chloe Fineman as Julianne Moore
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Sometimes it takes a truly specific impression to wow a crowd.“Saturday Night Live” star Chloe Fineman did just that when she was a guest on the “Ellen” show. When the host brings out Julianne Moore to join them, the comedian unleashes her best turn as the actress. Fineman’s bit is all about how similar the actress’ sad and happy expressions can be. Moore was clearly surprised by the performance at first. In one fell swoop, Fineman nailed the actress’ voice and poked fun at a subtle trait at once. Her ingenuity clearly separates the comedian from other impressionists. Both performers end up trying the same routine in unison in a hysterical finale.
#3: Jimmy Fallon as Russell Brand
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Russell Brand is a brash and mischievous comedic personality that few people can imitate well. Thankfully for us, the comedian got a solid impression from the host of “The Tonight Show.” Jimmy Fallon’s goofy inflections and physical performance mimic Brand better than almost anyone. He spoofs his guest in a fully-fledged presentation that matches the target’s voice. By the end of the bit, we’re convinced that Fallon’s impression might’ve gotten under the star’s skin a bit. While Brand does play along, we have to give it to the host for fully going in on the comedian with the impression without any hesitation.
#2: Andy Samberg as Nicolas Cage
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A fixture on “Saturday Night Live” in the late 2000s, Andy Samberg brought a recurring segment to “Weekend Update” with his best Nicolas Cage impression. But the best version brought in the real actor himself. Cage plays opposite his doppelganger with all of the self-awareness that fans could hope for. However, Samberg kicks it up a notch with his anger-induced rendition of the performer. From his hairline to his aggressive intonations, the comic actor gives this performance his all in the face of the real master. It all comes together with just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek delivery and an iconic final line.
#1: All Guests as Arnold Schwarzenegger
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On an episode of “The Graham Norton Show,” an eclectic panel of guests gathered to try out their very best Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions. The one fact that made this panel must see tv is that the action movie legend was also present to experience it all in real time. Cara Delevigne and Emilia Clarke jumped in first with energetic performances. Tinie Tempah and Graham Norton also dropped pretty decent impressions. But Jake Gyllenhaal shone with his take on a line from “Kindergarten Cop.” Throughout it all, the Hollywood icon took it all on the chin and let the others have fun. It ends up being a loving and savage spoof of some of the best lines in his career.
