Wanted: Comic Who Can Imitate This Candidate

The latest indication Barack Obama is one of a kind: Saturday Night Live can’t find an actor to impersonate the Democratic presidential candidate. Show mastermind Lorne Michaels says mimicking any celeb's “mildly irritating” minor tics is crucial to any impersonation. The show, returning Saturday from the writers' strike, could have a new cast member portraying the Illinois senator, the New York Post reports.

The show had previously skirted the issue by nabbing the candidate himself for a Halloween sketch cameo. Keenan Thompson, the only black comedian on SNL, was once considered a shoo-in to portray Obama. But he doesn’t have a lock yet, so if you have the audacity to hope, get on your big ears and buzz cut—and hurry to Rockefeller Center. (More Barack Obama stories.)