Jim Carrey is out as Joe Biden.
The actor announced that his stint on Saturday Night Live is coming to an end, saying he was only meant as a short-term stand-in for the now president-elect. In a message posted on Twitter hours before a new episode was set to air, he said that it was an honor to get to play the part through the election.
“Though my term was only meant to be 6 weeks, I was thrilled to be elected as your SNL President…comedy’s highest call of duty,” he tweeted .
“I would love to go forward knowing that Biden was the victor because I nailed that s***. But I am just one in a long line of proud, fighting SNL Bidens!”
As CNN noted, Carrey played Biden for a total of six episodes, but the actor made the decision to end his run on his own. The outlet noted that it was a cross-country engagement for Carrey, who lives in Los Angeles and had to travel back and forth for the live filming on Saturday nights.
The Inquisitr reported that longtime producer Lorne Michaels worked with Carrey to bring him on board, saying it was a mutual decision. The comedic variety show has often picked actors outside of its regular cast to play famous figures, tapping actor Alec Baldwin to play Donald Trump for the entirety of his presidency.
Carrey’s role drew mixed reviews from fans. As USA Today reported, the performance was panned as unfunny. Critics observed that the casting mismatch looked even more glaring due to the higher attention on the show. Many Americans tuned in for some comedic relief from a contentious presidential race and a pandemic that has stretched on for months. The report added that Carrey’s impression of Biden was not “so much a character as a costume,” with the comedian matching his trademark aviators and use of “finger guns” but failing to match up an impression to the former vice president.
“Biden has a distinctive voice, but Carrey mostly growls at the camera,” USA Today reported.
Many fans took to social media to voice their displeasure, with Carrey’s name often trending after his performances and many sharing critical remarks or calling for the show to cast someone else to fill in the part.
It was not clear yet who Saturday Night Live would tap to replace Carrey in his role as Joe Biden. CNN noted that other non-cast members have played Biden in the past, including Woody Harrelson and SNL alum Jason Sudeikis.
