It looks like the fanning of the Steve Bannon–as-a-woman flames will have to come to a halt … for now. Despite voicing her keen desire to portray President Donald Trump’s chief strategist on Saturday Night Live — going so far as to change her Twitter picture to an eerily similar Photoshop — Rosie O’Donnell will not, in fact, play Bannon on the late-night sketch show. O’Donnell’s reps confirmed the news to Variety and other outlets, although NBC wouldn’t comment, refusing to weigh in on “guest rumors.” Her interest in the gender-swapped Bannon role originally stemmed from the reported revelation that Trump was very upset that Press Secretary Sean Spicer was depicted by a woman — Melissa McCarthy — on SNL, prompting an abundance of social-media users to hound O’Donnell about the potential opportunity. (She and Trump have a long-standing public feud.)
Since then, numerous women have volunteered their comedic services to play members of Trump’s administration, including Christine Baranski for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. SNL is currently representing Bannon via featured player Mikey Day in a Grim Reaper costume — but with Alec Baldwin hosting this weekend and promising a memorable show, who knows what craziness will ensue.
