Top 10 SNL Impressions That Are So Bad They're Good

Not always known for his impressions, Pete Davidson branches out with this take on a popular musician. He dresses up in some stylish wardrobe to impersonate Machine Gun Kelly’s look. Considering that the two are friends, this dig at the artist feels like an effective inside joke. Davidson makes his buddy seem especially dull with his monotone delivery. Playing with Kelly’s public persona, the show even pokes fun at the singer’s relationship with Megan Fox. There’s also that time that “SNL” had the parody version of MGK spar with Dionne Warwick, making the former rapper a target of even more ridicule. You have to commend Davidson for committing to the bit and wanting to dunk on his friend on live TV.

In “The Joe Pesci Show” sketch, Jim Breuer plays up the titular actor like his mobster characters. He also has sidekicks like John Goodman’s Robert De Niro hang out with him. Goodman is loving every minute of this outrageous talk show, doing a broad impersonation of the legendary actor. He throws in a few iconic quotes for added enjoyment. Hanging out with guests like Marisa Tomei, this version of De Niro even provides strange reenactments of older movies like “Raging Bull.” Most viewers could probably do an impression at the same level as this, but few could be as funny while doing it.

Set at Buckingham Palace, this skit dramatizes Prince William and Kate Middleton’s engagement. Andy Samberg plays Prince William, introducing his fiancee to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Samberg attempts his best British accent for this novice take on William. The comedian isn’t the greatest at doing different dialects, making this better in an unintentional way. He frequently leaves the room and comes back to remind everyone of his less-than-convincing performance. The most accurate part of this sketch might be his hairpiece, and even then you can still criticize and laugh at it in equal measure.

Have you ever wanted to see Brad Pitt do the weather? If you want to, this “Weekend Update” segment will definitely entertain you. Taran Killam’s impression captures some of the odd nuances of the star, but also is a crazy take on the performer. Killam frequently grunts and uses other sounds to fill out his performance. His version of Pitt gives a questionable weather report that makes frequent use of these outbursts, never explaining his behavior for a second. There’s also an appearance from fake Angelina Jolie to try to legitimize this parody. Whether or not the real actor ever made that noise, Killam’s routine still gets a hearty laugh from the audience.

If you remember Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte, you might appreciate how far away Seth MacFarlane is from the real guy. His dumb-guy voice makes this impression especially fun in this “Weekend Update” segment. Seemingly confused by his assignment, the swimmer tries to talk about television shows with some bad information. MacFarlane’s vocal skills come in handy throughout as his character struggles through his presentation. While the performer isn’t exactly the physical match of Lochte, he does play into the fact that he’s such an unlikely match. The ending bit involving a juice box reveals just how ridiculous this interpretation really is.

For this celebrity quiz show, the “SNL” ensemble gets to shine with some memorable impressions. These also include some slightly less accurate performances from the likes of Rami Malek. The Oscar winner plays Pete Davidson, getting his revenge for the cast member’s interpretation of the actor. Malek has a lot of fun in a haircut and hoodie that feels straight out of Davidson’s closet. The voice and movements are so exaggerated that the performer himself likely knows how bad they are. He does get to work directly next to his target, making the entire scene all the more entertaining.

As long as you can get close to the real person, you can be forgiven for an inaccurate impression. Tobey Maguire’s performance on this “Celebrity Jeopardy” parody definitely falls into this category. As a clueless contestant, this interpretation of Keanu Reeves only seems to be able to quote his movies. Maguire’s version finds it hard to understand the rules of the game or even basic questions. The voice does resemble Reeves’ iconic delivery, but the “Spider-Man” star takes it even further. His wig and leather jacket also come off like a half-baked attempt to reference “The Matrix.” Willing to poke fun at the celebrity, this guest host performs some hilarious and outrageous line-reads during this sketch.

In this parody of “Family Feud,” a group of celebrities compete against each other. This includes Leslie Jones’ attempt to do Samuel L. Jackson. She plays the part as if she’s just been asked to fill in for someone else. Embracing the unlikely casting, the comedian tries out a few lines and tries to maintain her composure. The writers even work some moments into the sketch for Kenan’s Steve Harvey to point out the inconsistencies. While she isn’t a dead ringer for Jackson, Jones finds the laughs with a difficult assignment. The comedian almost breaks at several points in one of her most enjoyable appearances on the show.

Mark Wahlberg is known for his tough-guy persona. Andy Samberg decides to play with this idea, putting the actor in an unlikely situation. This version of Marky Mark likes to talk to animals in a scenario that’s funnier with each passing moment. The comedian doesn’t quite do a Boston accent for his performance or really nail the general personality of Wahlberg. His every interaction involves making quick observations before leaving the animals with an iconic farewell. Given the absurdity of the concept, it doesn’t actually matter that Samberg can’t do the impression that well. The real actor even made an appearance in order to confront the “SNL” star about this sketch, which only scores the impression extra points.

Julia Child never looked more out of place than in this skit. With a wig and a dress, Dan Aykroyd turns the popular television chef into a clumsy cartoon. His high-pitched squeal is an attempt to mimic her voice during this cooking segment. It’s a hilarious choice that only gets funnier as the sketch takes a twisted turn. The personality cuts herself during a show, creating a geyser of blood. You could easily call this version of Child the most inept cook ever. For Aykroyd, this scene allows him to purposely throw all good taste out the window.