How many actors have played Joe Biden on Saturday Night Live?

Joe Biden shocked the American public on Sunday, July 21 when he announced that he would be dropping out of the presidential race. He instead decided to endorse his current Vice President, Kamala Harris, as the Democratic nominee.

Biden's legacy has been complicated by the last few weeks, especially after his performance at the first presidential debate. That being said, Biden has been a part of popular culture for decades. As Vice President under Barack Obama and President, the politician has been a frequent source of comedy for Saturday Night Live.

Kevin Nealon was the first SNL star to play Biden

As such, there have been multiple actors who have stepped up to the plate to portray him. The first person to play Joe Biden on SNL was actually cast member Kevin Nealon back in 1991. He played Biden during a cold open, and it's fascinating to watch his take on a much younger, direct version of the man we know today.

There's a massive separation between Nealon's 1991 impression and the rest of the SNL parodies, which have taken place between 2007 and the present day. Eight more actors have stepped up to the plate and portrayed Biden, with the longest-tenured being SNL cast member Jason Sudeikis.

Sudeikis played Biden from 2007 to 2021, which is fascinating because several guest hosts played the politician during the same period of time. Woody Harrelson and Jim Carrey played the VP turned President in 2019 and 2020, respectively. John Mulaney, a longtime SNL writer, also played Biden in a 2020 episode.

Biden has been played by multiple actors in recent years

More recently, the Biden impression has been shifted around between cast members. Alex Moffat handled Presidential sketch in 2021, then James Austin Johnson took over during the 2021-22 era. Mikey Day is the active Biden specialist on the show, and he's had the job since 2023.

Given Biden's decision to give up the Presidential race, it's obvious there will be less of a need to do Biden content on Saturday Night Live. The focus will invariably shift to Kamala Harris, who, of course, has been masterfully portrayed by SNL alum Maya Rudolph.