Kate McKinnon Debuts Spot-On Impression Of Marianne Williamson

‘Saturday Night Live’ star Kate McKinnon had her Marianne Williamson impression ready Image by Getty Images

By Jenny Singer June 28, 2019

[Kate McKinnon’s impression of Democratic 2020 hopeful Marianne Williamson is so spot-on, no amount of sage will ever be able to burn it from your mind.

The “Saturday Night Live” comic, whose greatest hits as an impersonator include Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren, Angela Merkel, and Justin Bieber, appeared on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” less than two hours after Thursday night’s second democratic debate. And since “SNL” is off the air for the summer, McKinnon seized the opportunity to air her impression of Williamson, the Jewish self-help guru, weight-loss instructor, cabaret singer, and former minister who is running for the 2020 primary.

‘She was a shining comet,’ McKinnon said of Williamson, adding that she started practicing her impression even as the debate aired. Meyers wrote on Twitter that he and his writing staff watched the debate together with McKinnon, and “turn[ed] around to see Kate furiously scribbling in a note pad.”

McKinnon, on the show to promote her role in the upcoming Danny Boyle movie “Yesterday,” gave a sample of her Williamson impression. “My plan…is to gather all the sage in America and burn it. My plan is to harness the energy of babies, to finally put a man on the moon,” McKinnon purred, widening her eyes and lowering her voice.

You can watch the rest below. Our take? McKinnon is brilliant, but Jewish comedian Jenny Slate was born to play this role. We’re not endorsing anyone, but we hope both comic geniuses have a chance to face off as Williamson.

Jenny Singer is the deputy life/features editor for the Forward. You can reach her at Singer@forward.com or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

Jenny Singer is a freelance writer with pieces in Vox, the Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, Teen Vogue, and more. She was previously a staff writer at Glamour and the Forward, and she’s currently getting an MFA in nonfiction writing at the University of Iowa.

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