In his first year in the cast of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” Will Forte faced a daunting challenge – taking over an impression of a real person, already made famous by someone else. Former cast member Will Ferrel had nearly perfected his portrayal of President George W. Bush, and when he left, and the president appeared likely to be re-elected, the show needed to fill the gap. Given the popularity of both the performance and Ferrell himself, it seemed like a long shot for Forte. But by his second season, Forte had made the character his own – his whinier, more child-like impression contrasted with Ferrell’s confident defensiveness, and the character was essentially reborn.
It was a feat made all the more remarkable perhaps when considering that most of Forte’s comedy career has been behind the camera. When he joined the venerable sketch comedy series as a writer and performer, he had already racked up an impressive array of television comedy credits. Like many SNL performers, Forte started off in improvisational comedy, in his case, with the Los Angeles based Groundlings. From there he landed a coveted gig writing for CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman.” He went on write for NBC's sit-com “3rd Rock From the Sun” and then “That 70’s Show” on Fox. He also wrote the 1999 short-lived inside showbiz comedy “Action,” starring Jay Mohr, also on Fox. Other gigs included writing for the “2002 MTV Movie Awards,” and its sketch, “Panic Room with Will Ferrell.” He also went on to appear in “Around the World in 80 Days” in 2004.
On “SNL,” Forte’s other notable characters have included “The Falconer,” a spoof of 1980 action television where an everyday computer expert abandons the trappings of civilized life to become an outdoor adventurer with only his trusted falcon, Donald, at his side. He has also used his impressive vocal range to portray an overzealous Zell Miller, and a hotline operator who consistently yells an “Oooooh nooooo!” over the phone to his callers’ when reacting to their news.