It’s been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and, if that’s true, a lot of people seem to love Lorne Michaels. Over the years, the famed Saturday Night Live creator has been impersonated more than a few times, especially by those who know him personally. For instance, singer Ariana Grande even does a spot-on impression of Michaels. I’d say that now the singer has a little bit of competition in that regard, because Sesame Street’s Elmo also does a Michaels impression. And believe me when I say, it’s perfect.
Several SNL cast members – Mikey Day, Sarah Sherman, Ashley Padilla and Kenan Thompson – recently teamed up with Sesame Street for a fun video. The clip shows the sketch comedy actors chopping it up with the likes of Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby in what’s essentially a parody of the NBC show’s creative process. As a whole, it’s really well done, but it’s the moment that Elmo dons a suit and mimics Michaels during a discussion that really takes the cake. The video is on X and can be viewed below:
We’re not sure the new Saturday Night Live writers will be able to make it to showtime! 😴 https://t.co/6OxkAzb3bgOctober 26, 2026
For years, I’ve found Elmo to be a funny character, and the furry, little monster has been part of some funny moments (like that viral beef with Rocco). Never in my wildest dreams, though, did I ever expect to hear the diminutive muppet do an impression of SNL’s creator. With that said, I absolutely love it and can’t stop watching the video clip. Also, current Elmo puppeteer Ryan Dillon deserves credit for his stellar voicework. It shouldn’t be understated just how much skill it takes to voice a character doing an impression of someone else.
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I’m not the only person who’s taken by this impression of the occasionally sassy Lorne Michaels. A number of fans commented under the video, while others shared their responses by resharing a separate post with the impression on X:
- Elmo’s Lorne impression was really good! – @AFlockOf_Segels
- That Lorne impression has no right being so good. – @djghostmare
- Elmo doing an impression of Lorne Michaels is actually killing me so bad bc why is it good? – @wallowsgarden
- It’s all over. Lorne can never recover from this. NBC is finalizing negotiations with Tina Fey. – @redactedhills
- This is insane. I love it, get Elmo on hosting duty. – @John_Mike_
- Elmo I think is the most important and funniest person we have. – @vettealattee
The Michaels of it aside, the video is funny for a number of reasons, from the muppets’ misunderstanding of the term “sketches” to the reference to Elmo’s aforementioned beef with Rocco. Seeing Cookie Monster channel Chris Farley’s Matt Foley is also excellent, and I never would’ve expected Oscar the Grouch to get his own Debbie Downer moment. And how can I not mention Elmo channeling fan-favorite SNL character Domingo?
It’s never a bad moment whenever Elmo goes viral for one reason or another. Back in 2025, the beloved character went viral after admitting on social media that he was grouchy due to a lackluster naptime. This past summer, I was also enthused when the character sent his well wishes to both teams in the NBA Finals – the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. At this point, even when Elmo is hacked, it can still be turned into a truly wholesome moment.
To put it mildly, Elmo is a muppet of many talents (and Ryan Dillon is very skilled as well). What I need now, of course, is an SNL sketch in which Elmo does his impression in Lorne Michaels’ presence. I can even begin to imagine what kind of dry-witted response the TV exec would have. For now, though, know that Sesame Street airs on Netflix and PBS Kids stations, while new episodes of Saturday Night Live air at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC amid the 2026 TV schedule.
