SNL: 10 Best Celebrity Impersonations In The Family Feud Sketches

The Celebrity Family Feud sketches on Saturday Night Live are always a highlight of the show. Many famous faces have been mimicked in the recurring segment. Some celebrity impersonations are better than others, with those special impersonations deserving specific praise.

Longtime cast member Kenan Thompson’s Steve Harvey helps tease out aspects of celebrity targets’ personas and riffs on them, while others, like Kate McKinnon’s Frances McDormand, completely replicate those that they impersonate, almost creating a doppelgänger. While the majority of the celebrities parodied on Celebrity Family Feud are funny, a number of select impersonations take the cake.

Bill Hader – John Phillips

An older SNL Celebrity Family Feud sketch, this 2009 one was a send-up of Family Feud’s ’70s iteration that had Richard Dawkins as host. The Osmond family, led by Ryan Reynolds as Donny, went against the Phillips family of The Mamas and the Papas fame. SNL‘s legendary impressionist Bill Hader played Mamas and the Papas patriarch John Phillips.

Hader looks eerily similar to the folk-pop singer with the same facial expressions and fashions that Phillips sported in the ’70s. Most of the scene focuses on poking fun at the then-recent incest allegations by Phillips’s daughter Mackenzie, making this Family Feud sketch uncharacteristically dark.

Melissa Villasenor – Lady Gaga

Melissa Villasenor has a long roster of impressive celebrity impressions. Her Jennifer Lopez is impeccable and her Gwen Stefani is spot-on. Villasenor has played the multi-talented megastar Lady Gaga a couple of times on the Celebrity Family Feud sketches, giving her an opportunity to showcase yet another pitch-perfect impersonation.

Her impression of the star mainly focuses on Gaga’s intense facial expressions when performing and her distinct singing voice. Villasenor even recited Gaga’s now-notorious “There can be a hundred people in a room…” speech to hilarious effect.

Heidi Gardner – Allison Janney

Allison Janney went from a renowned character actor to a total A-lister after her Oscar-winning turn as Tonya Harding’s abusive mother, LaVona Golden, in 2017’s I, Tonya. Given Janney’s newfound fame, it was just a question of time before Saturday Night Live would spoof the talented actor.

In an Oscar edition of Celebrity Family Feud, Heidi Gardner did a terrific Allison Janney impersonation. Gardner perfectly nailed Janney’s unique speaking pattern and voice. The comedian repeated quips that Janney had been saying all awards season, adding another dimension to her impression.

Taran Killam – Quentin Tarantino

Taran Killiam had a talent for impersonating high-energy, eccentric actors during his time on Saturday Night Live. Some of his best impersonations include Pee-wee Herman and Gilbert Gottfried.

One of Killiam’s funniest impressions was his Quentin Tarantino. The celebrated director is known for his super animated, passionate way of speaking. Killiam replicates this and pushes it even further to get the laughs. Killiam’s Tarantino is basically climbing up the walls, much to the frustration of Thompson’s Steve Harvey.

Jay Pharoah – Idris Elba

Many SNL fans believe Jay Pharoah is one of the show’s most talented impressionists. His Kayne West and Eddie Murphy are out of this world, and his impersonation of Denzel Washington even got praise from Washington himself, as reported by Access Hollywood.

In Celebrity Family Feud, Pharoah gave an unbelievable good Idris Elba impression. Nailing the British actor’s deep London drawl and laid-back demeanor,  Pharoah had yet another perfect impression to add to his resume.

Cecily Strong – Olivia Colman

Portraying the British star of The Favourite, Cecily Strong did a phenomenal impersonation of Olivia Colman.

Riffing on Colman’s giggle-prone acceptance speeches, Strong pushes it a step further as she keeps laughing any time she opens her mouth to talk. Strong also lampoons Colman’s embrace of the champagne that flows at awards shows, making this one of Celebrity Family Feud‘s most memorable impersonations.

Ariana Grande – Jennifer Lawerence

Many SNL viewers were surprised that acclaimed pop star Ariana Grande is such a gifted celebrity mimic. However, she pulled off a tremendous impression of Hunger Games‘ star Jennifer Lawrence.

Grande was able to perfectly replicate Lawrence’s deep, throaty speaking voice and “cool girl” relatable persona. She was able to do a genuinely funny impersonation without being mean-spirited, which is always a fine line for celebrity parodies and impersonations.

Harry Styles – Mick Jagger

Harry Styles and rock legend Mick Jagger do not seem to be all that different from one another on the surface. Perhaps this similarity helped Styles in his impersonation of the vocalist when he guested on an SNL Celebrity Family Feud skit. The “Lights Out” singer is a gifted musician and, as proven by this impression, also a gifted comedian.

From the wild pointing of the Rolling Stones frontman to the high-pitched yelps, Styles does a great job of every Jaggerism.

Alex Moffat – Casey Affleck

For a Super Bowl edition of Celebrity Family Feud, SNL had Alex Moffat portray the Boston-bred Patriots fan and Oscar-winning actor Casey Affleck. The replication of Affleck was so on the nose that if a viewer were to close their eyes, they would think the actor was actually talking.

It’s a treat any time a serious actor is parodied on Celebrity Family Feud, and Moffat’s take on leans Affleck’s relaxed yet aloof demeanor had fans in stitches.

Kate McKinnon – Justin Bieber

Any of Kate McKinnon’s iconic celebrity impersonations on the Celebrity Family Feud sketches are fantastic. Whether it be her impersonations of Tilda Swinton, Glenn Close, Frances McDormand, Shakira, or the Biebs, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be a home run.

McKinnon is able to replicate the mannerisms and speech patterns of the people she impersonates but also manages to make it hysterical. When doing the Justin Bieber impression, McKinnon emulates his childish antics and his zany personality, providing a grade-A spoof of the pop star.

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