Cecily Strong Makes Hit 'SNL' Comeback as Donald Trump’s Handpick in the Latest Cold Open

Published 05/11/2025, 9:36 AM EDT

The popular sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live, has had a long legacy of commercial key figures parodies brilliantly executed by the cast members. Owing to their display of sharp acting skills here, many members have found success through its vast stage, which has expanded into a full-fledged Hollywood career for members like Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, Andy Sandberg, and others. And for the ones who committed straight out to it and bowed out after a good term of delivering fabulous entertainment, have carved a special place on SNL. One of them is Cecily Strong, a staple cast member on the show for a decade till 2022.

As SNL draws close to its 50th season soon, fans were in for a big surprise when they got to see Cecily Strong in her famous impersonation in the show’s latest episode. 

Queen of impressions Cecily Strong is back serving a political punch at SNL

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

On May 10, SNL aired its penultimate episode, which was hosted by actor Walton Goggins, and Arcade Fire was the musical guest. During the opening, James Austin Johnson arrived on stage as Donald Trump when talking about the new tariffs and other things, and was joined by former cast member Cecily Strong, who did the fan-favorite impersonation of Jeanine Pirro, the new interim U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C., recently nominated by Trump. The audience gave Strong’s surprise cameo a hearty reception, as the crowd went wild, roaring for her.

Cecily Strong made the cold, open appearance even more enjoyable by adding the long-running gag of spitting wine on Weekend Update's Colin Jost. This was also a special Mother’s Day episode with cast members Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, and Marcello Hernandez sharing a Mother's Day message and were joined by their mothers onstage, following which Cecily Strong and James Austin Johnson came. This marks the first SNL appearance of the actress who left the show in 2022.

“Disgusting and crude”- 'SNL' Latest Donald Trump Mock Show Leaves Christians Offended, Fans Call to Boycott NBCSNL

After leaving the show, Cecily Strong has had big changes in her life as the comedian recently welcomed her first child.

Cecily Strong welcomes snuggles with her first child

This week's SNL episode was Cecily Strong’s first screen presence, who five weeks ago welcomed her first child, a daughter, with her fiancé, Jack. Strong shared the news of the newest arrival in her family through Instagram on April 10, in which she wrote, "It’s been a week and a day with my beautiful squirmy baby girl." After SNL, she was seen in other projects as well, though her run on SNL is among the audience’s favourite works.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Cecily Strong worked on the show from 2012 to 2022 and currently holds the title of the longest-tenured female cast member in SNL's history. During it, she was famous and admired for many celebrities’ impersonations, including Sofia Vergara, Olivia Coleman, and her most famous one, Melania Trump. While SNL's last month skit of Donald Trump was labelled "disgusting and crude" by fans, Strong's famous Jeanine Pirro impersonation, along with James Austin's Trump, was nothing but just adored. 

Sabrina Carpenter Fans Go Wild as She Gets Goofy With Pedro Pascal for ‘SNL’ 50 With a Bum-Crash

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Did you watch the unexpected and sweet surprise on Cecily Strong on SNL yesterday? Tell us in the comments below.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

ADVERTISEMENT

Shafaque Taha

185 articles

Shafaque Taha has been writing for more than half a decade now, and her passion for literature of any form is an early life habit. With more than 700 published articles in the sportainment, she is now armed with vigor to bring the same enthusiasm as an Entertainment Writer at Netflix Junkie. For her, entertainment provides a liberty to further explore the humanities with the forum of music and shows/movies in a world of ever-evolving art.

Edited By: Itti Mahajan

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

EDITORS' PICK