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Saturday Night Live still casting for a Palin ringer

BY VERNE GAY | verne.gay@newsday.com

September 12, 2008

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on " Saturday Night Live?" The possibility is alluring, no doubt - if only because they (sort of) resemble each other. And yesterday, show czar Lorne Michaels confirmed: It could still happen.

In a conference call yesterday promoting tomorrow's 34th-season opener, Michaels said that talks about a Fey return to "SNL" - if only for a cameo - are "ongoing." But he also indicated that the gig could still go to Casey Wilson, a relative newcomer.

Fey left the show two years ago, while Wilson joined this year. And who might play Michelle Obama? Said Michaels, "My hope was that I'd get Maya Rudolph to do that ... " (She left last year.)

Whom "SNL" casts as either a candidate or candidate's running mate or wife in any election cycle has long been more than mere window-dressing in this TV classic: Portrayals, particularly effective ones, become part of the political landscape, and candidates and their supporters have either treasured or rued (typically the latter) their "SNL" portrayal. But "SNL" has also struggled a bit this year - Fred Armisen's Barack Obama remains a work in progress although Amy Poehler's Hillary Clinton was a hit.

Meanwhile, in the same conference call, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps said he's "getting really really excited" about his "SNL" debut as guest host, calling it "a completely new experience but something that's gonna be pretty fun."

Michaels said the world's greatest swimmer "will do just fine," adding: "No matter what happens [Saturday], they can't take those medals away."