From 2000 to 2007, Maya Rudolph was one of the brilliant utility glue players on the “SNL” cast — she had the versatility to play anyone. Hilarious impersonations in her arsenal of stars and legends include Beyoncé, Donatella Versace, Oprah Winfrey and Liza Minnelli. But as a guest actress in fall 2024, she was once again in the spotlight with her impersonation of Kamala Harris. As good as Rudolph’s previous incarnations of Senator and then Vice President Harris have been (she won an Emmy for her portrayal of Biden’s running mate in 2020), his finely tuned portrayal of presidential candidate Harris has been uncanny. Rudolph hilariously locked down Harris’ quivering vocal inflection, exact hand gestures, campaign issues and public appearances in real time.

Jason Sudeikis/Mikey Day/Dana Carvey as Joe Biden

As vice president and president, Biden achieved three notable performances. The Sudeikis served the fireunpredictable VP version of Biden. Day played Biden during the softer early stages of his presidency, and Carvey the less clear-eyed president of the post-Trump debate era. Each uniquely captured the varied essence of a political leader and highlighted the humorous quirks that sometimes accompany age.

James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump

Donald Trump, the real estate mogul and 45th president, had the most impressions among the cast of “SNL” of any former POTUS on our list. “SNL” cast members and guest stars who have portrayed it over the years include Phil Hartman, Darrell Hammond, Jason Sudeikis, Taran Killam, and Alec Baldwin. But “SNL” cast member James Austin Johnson’s current sixth impression of Trump is by far the best. The impeccable hair, makeup and suit give you the visual of Trump, which only reinforces Johnson’s perfect physical impersonation. He nails the gruff tone in a low tone to whisper rollercoaster vocal inflections, flailing hand gestures and a stream of mixed-up words of consciousness. Whether Johnson is representing Trump on the campaign trail, selling NFTs or delivering an Easter message, laughter always follows.

Jay Pharoah as Barack Obama (Honorable Mention: The Rock as the Rock Obama)

Jay Pharoah has proven himself to be a skilled impressionist in his time on “SNL” (2010-16), with impersonations of everyone from Kanye West to Jay Z to Eddie Murphy. So it’s no surprise that he was able to capture former President Obama’s voice and mannerisms so easily. “SNL” liked to spoof the naturally calm and cool Obama by making him tougher like a superhero. Honorable mention goes to The genius of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson against Obama, which transformed the former president into a Hulk-like character straight out of Marvel comics: The Rock Obama.

Will Ferrell as George W. Bush

Will Ferrell stands out in his impression of George W. Bush. To capture Bush, Ferrell adopted squinty eyes, a Texas accent and an overflow of nonsense words (remember “strategy”?), definitions and explanations. Ferrell is hilarious and funny delivering the bumper sticker style Bushisms that helped define the 43rd president’s tenure. His print was so popular that Ferrell made it a one-man show on Broadway in 2009“You are welcome to America. A Final Night with George W. Bush,” which also became an HBO special. The show, written by Ferrell, served as both a farewell to the former president and a swan song to Ferrell’s impression of Bush.

Dana Carvey as George HW Bush

Dana Carvey remains the best impressionist in the history of modern comedy. His impersonations include pop culture icons like Paul McCartney and Johnny Carson, but Carvey’s George HW Bush is legendary. It all starts with the magic of a talented team in hair, makeup and wardrobe. The physicality continues with Carvey’s exaggerated hand gestures and throaty laugh. It relies on a Bush vocal tone that Carvey described as “Mr.” Rogers meets John Wayne. He tops it off with catchy phrases that Bush actually said: “Stay the course,” “A thousand points of light,” “Read my lips, no new taxes,” and others he didn’t say: “That’s baaad”, “I wouldn’t do it”. be careful,” “I’m not going to do it,” which Carvey condensed to “Nahgunnaduh.” Bush 41 loved impersonation so much Carvey was invited to play it at the White House, and the two men enjoyed a 25-year friendship.

Darrell Hammond as Bill Clinton (Honorable Mention: Phil Hartman as Clinton)

Darrell Hammond did an impeccable impression of Bush’s successor in the White House, Bill Clinton. A gray wig, flushed face and bulbous prosthetic nose helped him physically resemble Clinton. Hammond imitated Clinton’s hoarse voice and mannerisms, including pointing with a tucked thumb. Whether Hammond was spoofing Democratic/Republican politics or key moments in the Monica Lewinsky impeachment scandal, the hilarity never stopped. Clinton himself was a fan; Hammond performed for the 42nd president at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 1997. Honorable mention goes to Phil Hartman for his famous President-elect Clinton, who goes out for a jog but does a pit stop at McDonald’s to taste the customers’ food.

Phil Hartman as Ronald Reagan

While most satirical impressions of Ronald Reagan depict him as a clueless leader of the free world, Phil Hartman offers a different view. Hartman’s Reagan looked and sounded the role, with dyed hair, overly rosy cheeks, and a stutter, but he was a multilingual, shrewd, evil world leader who meant everything he did during his administration (behind closed doors), and whose cabinet could not not keep up with the pace. him.

Dan Aykroyd as Jimmy Carter

Long before Maya Rudolph, Will Ferrell, Phil Hartman or Dana Carvey, Dan Aykroyd was the original “SNL” cast member considered a utility or glue player. These are actors who get a lot of airtime because of their incredible versatility: they can play almost anything. And Aykroyd’s approach to Jimmy Carter showcased his utilitarian power in all its glory. He embodied the Georgia native’s sing-song speaking style, smiling demeanor and personality. Despite the lack of makeup and prosthetics in this era (aside from a gray wig), Aykroyd’s charming and friendly vision of the 39th president was pretty close to perfect.

Chevrolet Chase as Gerald Ford

In 1975, it was very daring to parody a sitting president like Chevy Chase did on “SNL.” Comic impressionists of the time like Rich Little or Frank Gorshin were content to impersonate dignitaries by imitating or mocking their speeches. The original cast of “SNL” paid little attention to hair, makeup, or likeness, but instead aimed to capture the essence of what made the POTUS funny. Ever since the real President Gerald Ford was seen tripping or falling, Chase has portrayed the 38th president as a clumsy, stumbling oaf who fell off a ladder while cutting down Christmas trees or putting down a full glass of wine. Water came to his ears when the phone rang. The show even often humorously prefaced Chase’s skits as being a bad impersonation of Ford. Although light on real-life imitation, this daring performance was ultimately a showcase of Chase’s athletic abilities.

Ronke Idowu Reeves is the Globe’s SEO editor and a contributor to the books “Oprah: A Celebration at 70” and “PEOPLE Books: Special Edition Barbie.”