Rosie O'Donnell Pitched Steve Bannon Role on SNL, Was Rejected for Being 'Too Angry'

Rosie O'Donnell has revealed that Saturday Night Live rejected a 2017 pitch for her to play former Trump Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, citing that her perceived anger would make the portrayal unfunny. O'Donnell, 64, shared the anecdote in a recent interview with Variety.

At the time, O'Donnell expressed her eagerness to take on the comedic role of Bannon, a desire she made known through social media posts. She recalled that SNL creator and showrunner Lorne Michaels apparently dismissed the concept. "She’s too angry. It’s not funny when you’re angry,” O'Donnell recalled Michaels saying. She countered that she did not feel angry, but rather believed it would be humorous to impersonate Bannon.

Around the same period, a fan-made petition garnered over 29,900 signatures demanding O'Donnell portray Bannon. O'Donnell shared an image of her face superimposed onto Bannon's body and tweeted, "Available - if called i will serve!!!" She confirmed to Variety that she had not been asked to appear on the show to satirize any Trump administration officials, including the former president himself, but stated she would accept if invited.

This idea emerged during a period when actors like Alec Baldwin and Melissa McCarthy were actively portraying Trump and then-White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on SNL. O'Donnell's public feud with Donald Trump dates back over two decades, stemming from her time on The View in 2006. Trump himself reignited the animosity during the 2016 Republican primary debates when asked about his use of derogatory language towards women, stating "Only [when it came to] Rosie O'Donnell."

O'Donnell has continued to voice her criticism of Trump. Most recently, during a visit to the U.S. for the Tony Awards in June, she described him to Variety as "a conman. He is a narcissist. And he is a psychopath if you ask me." She recalled early instances of his financial struggles in New York.

Meanwhile, comedian Jimmy Kimmel announced that O'Donnell would guest host his program in August, billing it as a "special treat for our commander in chief." O'Donnell's week-long hosting stint is scheduled to begin on August 16. She had previously relocated to Ireland in 2025, following the commencement of Trump's second term, after expressing concerns about the resurgence of conservative politics.