party lines

Fred Armisen Performs in ‘Honeyface’

Fred

Photo: Courtesy of NBC

Lorne Michaels took some heat for picking Venezuelan-Japanese cast member Fred Armisen to play Barack Obama when Saturday Night Live returned to the air at the end of February, but Armisen himself isn’t having any trouble with it. “I just want to have fun,” he said at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on March 10. “I like wearing outfits and doing things.” So how does he turn himself into the country’s potentially first black president? “It’s really quick,” Armisen said. “There’s shading on my eyebrows and plastic behind my ears. And there’s a little bit of something called Honey, a honey color, that is something I would wear when I play Prince.” About the perception that “Weekend Update” favors Hillary Clinton, Armisen’s response was similar to what SNL writer Jim Downey told today’s Times: “I think they’re not favoring anyone,” he said. “The pieces are more making fun of the media than anything else. It’s all about the jokes.” —Bennett Marcus

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Fred Armisen Performs in ‘Honeyface’