Jay Pharoah FINALLY Gets to Play Barack Obama on 'Saturday Night Live'

The Saturday Night Live performer with the best Barack Obama impression is finally going to be the one portraying the president on the show. When SNL returns this weekend, Jay Pharoah will now be the man sitting in the show's (fake) Oval Office, evicting Fred Armisen. In addition to reporting that Jason Sudeikis will return for at least the first few months of the new season, The New York Times also broke the news that Pharoah now has the coveted Obama role.

That leaves the question of whom Mr. Sudeikis will face in debate sketches. Fred Armisen has been the show’s President Obama since 2008, but Mr. Michaels said he would be relying on Jay Pharoah, who joined the cast in 2010.  

“Jay has been doing Obama in his act this summer, and Jay is coming into his own,” Mr. Michaels said. “I just thought it might be time to shake it up.”  

Mr. Armisen will still have an enormous amount to do, Mr. Michaels said, describing that 10-year player as “the backbone of the show now.”

FINALLY. Ever since Pharoah joined SNL back in 2010, it's been an open secret that he has a killer Obama impression. Why Lorne Michaels stuck with Armisen, I have no idea. Check out the clip of Pharoah performing his Obama impression a few years ago. It's about time Pharoah gets his chance to shine on SNL.