![Alec Baldwin’s SNL Salary for Playing Trump is Anything But Yuge](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2016/12/snl-trump-salary-pic.jpg?w=630&h=420&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89&w=980&q=75)
Alec Baldwin’s SNL Salary for Playing Trump is Anything But Yuge
Once upon a time, Alec Baldwin thought he might get to retire his SNL rendition of Donald Trump, as the world moved on with a Clinton presidency. Now, over a month past the election and three appearances since, Baldwin reveals not only a surprisingly small takehome for the role, but also the likelihood of a regular presence going forward.
A “sad!” profile with the “failing” New York Times went behind the scenes with Baldwin ahead of Casey Affleck’s 2016 closer, which saw Baldwin’s Trump cozying up to Vladimir Putin (Beck Bennett) and new Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (John Goodman). Baldwin admits taking home only $1400 for each appearance, while two upcoming film commitments “would mean his performances would be intermittent” going forward.
As to how Baldwin manages to capture Trump’s unique cadence in a manner that Darrell Hammond and Taran Killam had been responsible for in prior seasons:
The key to a convincing Mr. Trump, the actor said, are “puffs” — his word for the pregnant pauses in the president-elect’s speech. “I see a guy who seems to pause and dig for the more precise and better language he wants to use, and never finds it,” Mr. Baldwin said in an interview on Saturday in his dressing room at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, six hours before show time, his eyebrows already peaked. “It’s the same dish — it’s a grilled-cheese sandwich rhetorically over and over again.”
For his part, Trump hasn’t tweeted his displeasure with SNL or Baldwin’s impersonation since December 4; odd, given this past weekend took its arguably most pointed shots at him for Russian influence in the election. The previous week also managed to take aim without Baldwin’s caricature, using a short film with John Cena to portray life “Through Donald’s Eyes.”
We’ll see if Baldwin manages to squeeze in any more appearances before the inauguration (currently, only Rogue One star Felicity Jones is scheduled for January), but how might SNL portray the President over the next four years, if not with Baldwin in its stable?
Check Out 100 TV Facts You May Not Know!
More From KLAW-FM
![NBC’s Today Show is Coming to Sapulpa, Oklahoma to the Route 66 Christmas Chute](http://townsquare.media/site/115/files/2022/12/attachment-Sapulpa-OK.-630X420.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Ivana Trump, Fashion Mogul and Donald Trump’s Ex-Wife, Dead at 73](http://townsquare.media/site/252/files/2022/07/attachment-ivana-trump.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Donald J. Trump Day? Could Be a Thing in Oklahoma](http://townsquare.media/site/176/files/2022/05/attachment-GettyImages-1278687698.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Oklahoma’s AleXa has Won the 2022 ‘American Song Contest’ on NBC!](http://townsquare.media/site/115/files/2022/05/attachment-AleXa-OK-630X420.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Former President Trump Acquitted in 57-43 Senate Vote](http://townsquare.media/site/341/files/2021/02/GettyImages-1301993955.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![President Trump Issues Final Pardons: See the Full List Including Lil Wayne, Steve Bannon](http://townsquare.media/site/252/files/2021/01/GettyImages-825587596.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler Bring ‘Really!?!’ Back for Shakespeare Protests](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2017/06/seth-amy-really-pic.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![‘Will and Grace,’ ‘This Is Us’ and More Set NBC Fall 2017 Premieres](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2017/06/nbc-fall-2017-pic.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Watch Adam West’s Unreleased NBC ‘Powerless’ Episode](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2017/06/adam-west-powerless-pic.jpg?w=980&q=75)