James Austin Johnson discusses improvisational Trump impression at 'Playing POTUS' Tribeca premiere
By
Jill Goldsmith
Pure flour-power. Hearty enough to carry you through lunch.
Summary
SNL cast member James Austin Johnson discusses his improvisational approach to his Donald Trump impression at the Tribeca Festival premiere of Josh Greenbaum's documentary 'Playing POTUS.' Johnson explains that he relies on stream-of-consciousness improvisation to capture Trump's unpredictable speaking style, noting that the audience's uneasy anticipation of what might come next is essential to the impression's authenticity. He demonstrated his technique with riffs on various topics including China, Japan, Korea, Carrie Underwood, Lady Gaga, and Iran.
Key quotes
· 2 pulledIt wouldn't feel like Trump if there wasn't this queasy feeling in the audience of 'what is he going to say?' and so I have to improvise for the character to kind of come alive.
So I'm throwing in stuff.
You might also wanna read
SNL's James Austin Johnson Says He Hopes Trump Never Mentions His Name
James Austin Johnson, the SNL cast member who portrays Donald Trump, discusses his feelings about potentially attracting the real president'
Decider·5d ago
Alec Baldwin and Dana Carvey Discuss the Art of Impersonating Presidents Biden, Bush, and Trump on SNL
Alec Baldwin and Dana Carvey discuss their experiences impersonating U.S. presidents Joe Biden, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump on "Saturda
Variety·18h ago
South Park's Trey Parker: Trump Thinks His Job Is to Be the Joker, Unlike Ours
In a video spot for the Television Academy Honors, 'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone discuss their role as comedic provocateu
Variety·10d ago
Jon Stewart criticizes Donald Trump's presence at Knicks NBA Finals game during Daily Show event
Jon Stewart expressed frustration over Donald Trump's appearance at a Knicks NBA Finals game, saying Trump "fucking ruined it." The moment c
IndieWire·2d ago
Bill Maher Mocks Trump's Freedom 250 Concert After Multiple Artists Drop Out
Bill Maher mocked Donald Trump's Freedom 250 concert on his HBO show Real Time, highlighting the wave of artist dropouts from the event. Mah
Decider·13d ago
'Trumpy Trump' card game offers satirical take on US President Donald Trump
Designer Graham Johnson created a satirical card game called "Trumpy Trump" as a response to the overwhelming news coverage and political cl
Creative Boom·6mo ago