Queen Elizabeth’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ Portrayals, Ranked
Rock & Royal! Queen Elizabeth was a regular “guest” on Saturday Night Live over the years, played to varying degrees of success by a smorgasbord of stars, both female and male. But who reimagined her best during the show’s 47 seasons?
Below, we rank all the portrayals of the late beloved monarch in the sketch show. Let us know if we got it right.
6. Joan Cusack
Joan Cusack‘s Queen Elizabeth II gets the last place spot solely because the video is impossible to find. The full episode, Season 11 Episode 15, is available on Peacock, but it’s missing this and other sketches. It happens! The premise of the sketch is that Randy Quaid believes Henry Kissinger (Al Franken), his boyfriend (Tony Danza), and the Queen are working together to bring heroin to the US. Jon Lovitz shows up as Prince Charles. Fun (maybe)!
5. Jon Lovitz
Jon Lovitz does a perfectly passable Queen Elizabeth in this 1989 episode hosted by tennis star Chris Evert. He only portrayed the royal once, asking for the “loo” in the Wimbledon locker rooms. It’s funny! But not memorable. The full episode is available to stream on Peacock.
4. Jeannette Charles
Jeanette Charles was not an SNL cast member, but she did make an entire career out of playing the Queen and was especially famous in Britain. In this sketch from 1977, she kicks a Canadian mountie, played by Dan Aykroyd, in the genitals in the name of charity. She has no lines, but she’s ranked slightly above Lovitz in honor of her many other renditions of QEII, from National Lampoon’s European Vacation to Naked Gun: From the Files of the Police Squad!, a deleted scene in The Parent Trap, and more. This particular portrayal is available to stream on Peacock.
3. Mike Myers
Mike Myers played Queen Elizabeth twice, both during the controversy of Prince Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles and divorce from Princess Diana. Watch him hilariously break down the couple’s division of assets (and increasingly absurd here. You can also watch him tackle the infamous tampon phone call in the full episode on Peacock.
2. Kate McKinnon
Kate McKinnon is our most recent SNL Queen. Kate plays her as confused and flustered, but with a definite undercurrent of mysterious malice. While she makes a brief appearance in this sketch about the Royal Wedding between Harry and Meghan, she really shines climbing out from under a pile of gifts at Meghan’s baby shower.
1. Fred Armisen
As mentioned in our favorite portrayals of the Queen, Fred Armisen‘s Elizabeth is rough around the edges. From intimidating Elton John to befriending Pippa Middleton, Armisen’s queen is vulgar, brash, and rude. She sometimes performs punk rock. She’s everything our image of Queen Elizabeth isn’t, and she’s hilarious.
Bonus: While Armisen is not the star of the show in this sketch, we implore you to watch Bill Hader try and fail not to break in the face of Martin Short‘s increasingly silly list of rules for doctors treating the royal family.
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