If you’ve watched Saturday Night Live, you probably know who Fred Armisen is. He was a part of one of the most memorable SNL casts, alongside Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Bill Hader.
Fred Armisen is a talented comedian, actor, musician, and writer. He spent 11 years playing different characters and making SNL audiences laugh their hearts out. He’s known for his incredible power of transformation through different accents and mimics. Armisen can go from playing a snobbish woman to a ridiculous native Californian in seconds. During his long tenure on Saturday Night Live, he appeared in more than 800 sketches, played 35 characters, and made more than 100 impressions.
Because of his unique sense of humor and talent for improvisation, he will always be remembered as one of the best and most hilarious SNL members. So, let’s recap some of his best characters in Saturday Night Live.
Stuart – The Californians
Credit: Saturday Night Live
‘The Californians’ sketch is one of the hilarious ones in SNL. First of all, it has Fred Armisen in it. Then, add to that Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, and you’ve got an unforgettable skit.
Fred plays Stuart, a native Californian whose wife Karina (played by Kristen Wiig) is cheating on him with the gardener Devin (Bill Hader). This phenomenal trio is so good that you’ll cry out while watching these skits. The best part about it is that they always break characters which is, let’s face it, everyone’s favorite thing to happen on SNL.
Fred Armisen is a true master of accents and transformation, and ‘The Californians’ are proof of that.
Garth and Kat
Another memorable SNL skit is the one where Armisen and Wiig play a chronically unprepared musical duo – Garth and Kat. This recurring sketch on the Weekend Update is a must-watch. Armisen and Wiig are hilarious together. They can make you laugh so hard that your stomach hurts.
If you don’t remember this funny skit, it’s the one where Garth and Kit are invited to the Weekend Update to play their songs, but they never come prepared. Instead, they improvise! The jokes write themselves at this point. You will love every second of this skit, that’s for sure.
Fred Armisen as Court Stenographer
Credit: Saturday Night Live
If there’s anything that Fred Armisen can do well, that’s to play women characters. And one of the many times he had us cry out of laughter on SNL was when he played Elinda, the incompetent court stenographer. Think twice; iso if you think there’s nothing funny about law and court. Or better yet, watch this sketch.
It starts with Jon Hamm as a lawyer and Kristen Wiig as a witness in court. After that, everything seems standard until you hear annoying typing in the back. That’s, of course, Armisen’s character stealing the show. The scrunchy-faced stenographer is instantly funny from the first time you see her because she makes hilarious faces and is utterly incompetent at her job.
I Am Your Mother
Credit: Saturday Night Live
Another legendary moment for Armisen was when he played an actress in Gino’s Pizza Rolls commercial alongside Zac Efron and Andy Samberg. The scenes start with Armisen, Effron, and Samberg ready and set to shoot this commercial.
The instructions sound pretty straightforward – Armisen’s only job is to take out the pizza rolls from the oven, serve them to her son and his pal, and generally do the usual mom things. But when her on-screen son makes a joke about her cooking, that’s when things go downhill. Armisen’s character gets too into her part and starts yelling at her son, shouting the legendary line, ‘I am your mother!’
Nicholas Fehn
Last but certainly not most minor legendary character Armisen played on SNL is Nicholas Fehn, a political comedian who is appearing on the Weekend Update. He’s such a great representation of the fact that everyone has an opinion these days.
Nicholas Fehn’s job is to read article headlines and give his opinions. But he can’t articulate any of his thoughts and ideas. Whenever he tries to offer his view on a controversial topic, he can’t say anything relevant or clever. Instead, he shouts words like “C’mon!” or “No!” It’s funny because it’s true, and Fred Armisen is brilliant in this role.