Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump and Jim Carrey as Joe Biden during the “First Debate” Cold Open on Saturday, October 3, 2020. The sketch marked Jim Carrey’s highly anticipated debut as Joe Biden, as he and Alec Baldwin’s Trump faced off in a spoof debate.

‘SNL’s longtime show runner Lorne Michaels discussed Jim’s portrayal of Joe Biden ahead of the premiere, and how the idea came about. “There was some interest on [Jim]’s part. And then we responded, obviously, positively,” he said. “But it came down to discussions about what the take was. He and Colin Jost had a bunch of talks. He and I as well. He will give the part energy and strength, and…Hopefully it’s funny,” he added. Notably, Jim Jim has hosted SNL a number of times over the years, but was never a full-time cast member on the NBC series (despite auditioning back in 1980).

Click to see photos of other appearances and highlights from season 46!